Broody Hen Thread!

[BeanHen]

Hey all!

I just had a quick broody question:
My hen has been sitting on her nest in our garage since Friday night (we gave her two chicks at around 7:30 pm) and has not gotten up to poop. She has been eating and drinking (the food and water are within reach so the chicks can take care of themselves).
Should I make her get up / make her go outside? Or should I just leave her and hope she decides to get up and relieve herself? (I'm dreading that broody poop...)

 

[holm25]

Hey all!

I just had a quick broody question:
My hen has been sitting on her nest in our garage since Friday night (we gave her two chicks at around 7:30 pm) and has not gotten up to poop. She has been eating and drinking (the food and water are within reach so the chicks can take care of themselves).
Should I make her get up / make her go outside? Or should I just leave her and hope she decides to get up and relieve herself? (I'm dreading that broody poop...)

I made mine get up and go outside. I would but that is me...

 

[Sonya9]

Hey all!

I just had a quick broody question:
My hen has been sitting on her nest in our garage since Friday night (we gave her two chicks at around 7:30 pm) and has not gotten up to poop. She has been eating and drinking (the food and water are within reach so the chicks can take care of themselves).
Should I make her get up / make her go outside? Or should I just leave her and hope she decides to get up and relieve herself? (I'm dreading that broody poop...)

You could also tempt her out with some yummy food, like some scrambled egg that she can see but has to get out of the box to access.

I would also move the food dishes away a bit. Mine likes to sit for at least a whole day with the chicks but I usually coax her out on the second day with a treat.

 

[aart]

Quote: Yeah, move the food away from reach while in the nest, that'll get her up.
....and be ready to change the bedding in the nest cause my bet is that broody poop will be in there.

 

[fisherlady]

Hey all!

I just had a quick broody question:
My hen has been sitting on her nest in our garage since Friday night (we gave her two chicks at around 7:30 pm) and has not gotten up to poop. She has been eating and drinking (the food and water are within reach so the chicks can take care of themselves).
Should I make her get up / make her go outside? Or should I just leave her and hope she decides to get up and relieve herself? (I'm dreading that broody poop...)

Did you remove any fake eggs which may have been under her? Even with live chicks most hens are really reluctant to leave the nest as long as they think there are still eggs to hatch. If she no longer has any eggs left then you can strongly encourage her to get up and out since it has been so long. scatter an appealing scratch in the area to encourage her to get out and start teaching the chicks how to forage.
We mix finch seed and dried meal worms... hens like the small seeds for the little ones and they really love breaking up the meal worms for them.

 

[chickenlickin8]

I have a broody RIR hen (Rosalee) sitting on fertile eggs I got from a local farm. They are due to hatch around May 23rd. This will be my second year I have a broody in Spring. Is that common? This broody is the daughter of last year's broody. I can't resist watching mom teaching her chicks life lessons.

 

[BeanHen]

You could also tempt her out with some yummy food, like some scrambled egg that she can see but has to get out of the box to access.

I would also move the food dishes away a bit.  Mine likes to sit for at least a whole day with the chicks but I usually coax her out on the second day with a treat.

Okay, I got her to come out with mealworms -and she made a gargantuan poop. (Eww)

Fisherlady - And I did take all of her fake eggs when I put the chicks under, so she's just being lazy Her chicks are eating and drinking fine, though!

Thank you all for the advice!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Do hens Co raise their chicks. My one hen who hatched out her chicks a week and a half ago she is doing fine with her 3 chicks. But the 2 hens that hatched their chicks out a couple of days apart the one hen practically stole all of the other hens chicks but is only aggressive to the one little black chick that wants to join with all her other brother and sisters. I am not sure what to do ?? Any advise ?

For what ever reason known only to the hen they often reject odd or off color chicks. This is not racism as we humans think of racism because as often as not a White, Yellow, Red, or Black hen will reject a White, Yellow, Red, or Black chick. All it means is that the momma hen refuses to recognize this odd chick as her own flesh and blood or adopted chick while the chick in question only recognizes its evil step mother as its protector.

 

[16 paws]

I have a broody RIR hen (Rosalee) sitting on fertile eggs I got from a local farm. They are due to hatch around May 23rd. This will be my second year I have a broody in Spring. Is that common? This broody is the daughter of last year's broody. I can't resist watching mom teaching her chicks life lessons.

Yes, it is common that spring time brings on the broodys. I had 8 last week that wanted to brood. I had to put 6 of them into my broody buster coop. They were in there for 3 days. One silkie, Junebug went right back to it!

I am a softie also when it comes to watching them teach their chicks...cutest thing ever. Let us know how it goes will you?
I really like your nest boxes.

Marie

 

[chickenlickin8]

Thanks Marie. My hubby built the nestboxes. I will post pics of the babies when they hatch.