Broody Hen Thread!

[MesMama]

You can candle without forcibly removing the hen - just slip your hand under her, take an egg and candle it - return and repeat. I've never had an issue with a broody "breaking" over minor hands on activity - ie checking her nest daily to ID and remove eggs that are not marked as the eggs she was started with. For the daily "donated eggs check" I just slide my hand under her and then raise it up slightly to lift her up off the eggs so I can see them - any unmarked eggs can easily be picked out with my other hand, and then I just lower her back down, remove my hand and let her get re-settled. The less fuss *you* make about this sort of thing, the less fuss she is going to make about it.

That makes sense I guess I am just nervous with this being my first chicken experience ever LOL! I'm just so unfamiliar with this whole thing yet, so I'm scared to stick my hand under them after the one pecked me for trying to give her some water, good thing I had gloves on!

that's me LOL! She scares me hehe! The other one I think would be okay, but miss grumpybutt gives me this look like "I'm gonna hurt you!" lol

I may enlist some help from my friend who has had chickens for several years now, she was going to come yesterday to help me count the eggs and mark them but she got busy, so maybe another day.

 

[MesMama]

Thanks! They're Black Copper Marans with a Blue & Olive Egger in the mix.

They are beautiful!! And so is the hen

 

[Blooie]

You can candle without forcibly removing the hen - just slip your hand under her, take an egg and candle it - return and repeat. I've never had an issue with a broody "breaking" over minor hands on activity - ie checking her nest daily to ID and remove eggs that are not marked as the eggs she was started with. For the daily "donated eggs check" I just slide my hand under her and then raise it up slightly to lift her up off the eggs so I can see them - any unmarked eggs can easily be picked out with my other hand, and then I just lower her back down, remove my hand and let her get re-settled. The less fuss *you* make about this sort of thing, the less fuss she is going to make about it.

On a scale of 1-10, sticking any appendage of mine to within 10 feet of Attila the Hen scares the pee-waddin' out of me! She is NOT a nice broody, yet she is normally a very docile, calm chicken. She is my granddaughter Katie's chicken, and if I can't trust each bird out there around my grandkids they have a one way ticket to freezer camp. But the kids do know not to disturb the chicks when they are little, and they don't disturb Agatha. It's like the eggs get warm and she gets ugly, all at one time! So no candling here. I do have gloves, but they aren't the lead ones that we use in the animal hospital for holding critters for x-rays and I ain't going into battle without a helmet! Once those eggs hatch, she's just fine with me picking up chicks and checking them or whatever else, but not while she's sitting. Okay, I admit it - I'm a coward!

 

[MesMama]

On a scale of 1-10, sticking any appendage of mine to within 10 feet of Attila the Hen scares the pee-waddin' out of me! She is NOT a nice broody, yet she is normally a very docile, calm chicken. She is my granddaughter Katie's chicken, and if I can't trust each bird out there around my grandkids they have a one way ticket to freezer camp. But the kids do know not to disturb the chicks when they are little, and they don't disturb Agatha. It's like the eggs get warm and she gets ugly, all at one time! So no candling here. I do have gloves, but they aren't the lead ones that we use in the animal hospital for holding critters for x-rays and I ain't going into battle without a helmet! Once those eggs hatch, she's just fine with me picking up chicks and checking them or whatever else, but not while she's sitting. Okay, I admit it - I'm a coward!

this made me LOL! Only because that's exactly how i feel too hehe!!

 

[suliah]

You can candle without forcibly removing the hen - just slip your hand under her, take an egg and candle it - return and repeat. I've never had an issue with a broody "breaking" over minor hands on activity - ie checking her nest daily to ID and remove eggs that are not marked as the eggs she was started with. For the daily "donated eggs check" I just slide my hand under her and then raise it up slightly to lift her up off the eggs so I can see them - any unmarked eggs can easily be picked out with my other hand, and then I just lower her back down, remove my hand and let her get re-settled. The less fuss *you* make about this sort of thing, the less fuss she is going to make about it.

I had to check and remove eggs from mine for the first week before the other chickens finally learned that her next was off limits! I never moved her, just pulled out the eggs. I'd put them in a different spot carefully until I had all the eggs out, and simply return the numbered ones. She'd make her angry noise, but never pecked at me.

Also better to do it at night. She's kinda sleepy, and it makes the candling way easier too (I did it out there with a flashlight in my hand). made a "looks good" pile and a "not sure" pile (some of my eggs are super dark and I can't see through the shell).

Also did take one away that was clearly a yolker at day 10. Cracked it just to check, and I was right. I didn't want that exploding in my nest.

I'm a first time mommy to a broody though, so I could be doing it all wrong! That's just my experience so far. We're down to 10 eggs now and on day 11.

 

[PD-Riverman]

What are the thoughts of people here on whether, and when, you candle eggs under a broody? Does it matter if you are going to need to forcibly move her off the nest? I never saw her off the nest once, the whole 21 days.

If "I" was going to candle----I would do it around day 12-14. I would remove any clear eggs or eggs that have hardly any grooth(early death). Then I would leave the hen alone till after she comes off the nest with the chicks. Taking her off the nest in the early days affects nothing----taking her off in the later 3 days-----well I will just say "I" would NOT do it myself or allow anyone else too.

Your hen will not break her broodiness because you gently lift her out the nest to candle the eggs. I do not like to handle the eggs any more than nessasary----might break one(some one on here did just that recently) or else. Good Luck!!

 

[PD-Riverman]

On a scale of 1-10, sticking any appendage of mine to within 10 feet of Attila the Hen scares the pee-waddin' out of me! Once those eggs hatch, she's just fine with me picking up chicks and checking them or whatever else, but not while she's sitting. Okay, I admit it - I'm a coward!

LOL. its OK to Respect a mean little broody hen-----she is sooooo Big-----looking-----when she has her feathers puffed up----LOL. Them pecks can hurt---so I would suggest a thicker coat and a heavy pair of gloves when you handle her---LOL.

 

[Blooie]

LOL. its OK to Respect a mean little broody hen-----she is sooooo Big-----looking-----when she has her feathers puffed up----LOL. Them pecks can hurt---so I would suggest a thicker coat and a heavy pair of gloves when you handle her---LOL.

And chain mail, and a shield, and gauntlets........

 

[PD-Riverman]

And chain mail, and a shield, and gauntlets........

I have had M A N Y broodies----I do not pay them any attention-----the ones that peck hard----I just go after the neck-----not to hurt----just to hold till I do what I need to do. The same way I do a snake in my egg box----grab him just below the head---sometimes I miss and he gets me----while he is bit down on my arm---I can get him better----LOL. Then I take him for a little walk----Don't Worry---I only do that witn non-poision ones---LOL.

 

[Blooie]

This is where being here on this thread is going to get a little hard....especially explaining to those of you who were with me when Agatha hatched Scout, and then through his subsequent mishaps. We had to cull him yesterday. It was not a choice made easily or lightly, and in truth if I had just me to worry about he would still be here. I am so grateful that his "mom" is sitting on eggs that he fertilized, and in a perfect world there will be a little pullet who looks like her mom and has her dad's spunk and resiliency. RIP, Little Man. I'm sorry to lose you, but grateful for the lessons you taught.











Full circle...Agatha waits for Scout's next generation.