Broody Hen Thread!

[Majd]

Still waiting for Agatha to hatch me out a Little Scout or two....not a sign of anything happening out there. She was off the nest for a few minutes this evening for a drink - it's been in the 90s here and she wasn't very comfortable. So while she was out I sneaked a peek from the brooder pen door. Love this set up because I don't have to go inside to look. I see 4 little eggs, doing absolutely nothing yet. I ain't no doggone good at this "patiently waiting" thing but I know I made a lot of mistakes interfering last year and I'm determined to trust her this time around. She's been sitting like a veteran broody and I owe her a little respect. (But I sure wish those eggs would hurry up!)

Totally know what you mean today my 8 year old broody is hatching 16 eggs, the last time i checked(10 hours ago, its 4 am now and im sleep deprived) 8 were totally out, 2 were zipped, 5 were pipped and one so sign of life(probably dead in shell)... So in a couple hours im hoping to see 15 little buggers under my big girl! Hope yours hatch and don't forget the pics seems you have a nice setup unlike me

 

[Blooie]

Totally know what you mean

today my 8 year old broody is hatching 16 eggs, the last time i checked(10 hours ago, its 4 am now and im sleep deprived) 8 were totally out, 2 were zipped, 5 were pipped and one so sign of life(probably dead in shell)... So in a couple hours im hoping to see 15 little buggers under my big girl!
Hope yours hatch and don't forget the pics

seems you have a nice setup unlike me

The way I see it, if the girls are happy, and they can successfully raise a brood, then the setup, regardless of what it is, is perfect. (And my comma key just collapsed from exhaustion with that sentence!)

 

[rexannastar]

my broody EE hen gets her mail order eggs tomorrow!

 

[chickensfinally]

Ok, so we have 9/10 hatched and dry with the 10th still alive and only part way out, although it looked as if it was the wrong end, don't know. I didn't want to mess with her but she got spooked while I was changing out water and food. So I got a look under her.
Pics!!

. Look at that stink eye!!

some more chicks. Broody and dad are both Welsummer but other egg contributors are Ameracauna (EE?), and SLW and maybe GLW. Would love to know if I can sex the mixed chicks with eyeliner and head V's like pure Wellies.

 

[torilovessmiles]

Went out to the coop this evening to collect eggs, only to find one of my Red Star hens, Goose, sitting on all the eggs laid today. She hissed at me! I know it's rare for red sexlinks to go broody, and she may be a horrible mother, but I'm going to let her try and hatch these out if she stays broody! If she loses interest, I'll just stick them in the incubator.
She is in the favored nesting box of the whole flock though, so I think I'm going to switch her out with the box beside her while she's sleeping. I feel like all of the others will disturb her more by sitting on her and trampling her to lay in that one box, as it is quite small. When I know she's good and broody, then I think I'll find a good place to let her hatch them!
Does anyone have any stories of a broody Black or Red sexlink? Did they finish the hatch, and did they make good mothers to the chicks?

 

[holm25]

All the talk about broodies going to the bathroom in the nest box is crazy. I know they shouldnt but its not so.ething that can really be controlled unless they r wearing a diaper. I just had a hen would get out every few days but still poop in her nest even when fed away from the nest. Some hens do that. And checking the eggs doesnt really hurt them much I just had every egg I set hatch and do fine. I just feel bad for casey because you were really rude. This is a place to come and learn not to come and be told your doing everything wrong. There is no such thing as a wrong or right way. Its all a matter of opinion and what some people have better luck doing.

 

[holm25]

Went out to the coop this evening to collect eggs, only to find one of my Red Star hens, Goose, sitting on all the eggs laid today. She hissed at me! I know it's rare for red sexlinks to go broody, and she may be a horrible mother, but I'm going to let her try and hatch these out if she stays broody! If she loses interest, I'll just stick them in the incubator.
She is in the favored nesting box of the whole flock though, so I think I'm going to switch her out with the box beside her while she's sleeping. I feel like all of the others will disturb her more by sitting on her and trampling her to lay in that one box, as it is quite small. When I know she's good and broody, then I think I'll find a good place to let her hatch them!
Does anyone have any stories of a broody Black or Red sexlink? Did they finish the hatch, and did they make good mothers to the chicks?

Honestly I have learned it depends on the hen. I have a breed thats not a good broody but is doing great at raising chicks.

 

[Majd]

Hehe

The way I see it, if the girls are happy, and they can successfully raise a brood, then the setup, regardless of what it is, is perfect. (And my comma key just collapsed from exhaustion with that sentence!)  

Hehehhe....
Well an update! I found all 15 chicks in the morning as expected and i checjed for the 16th egg, it was not chirping then i supposed it's dead... Then when i was about to make a small pip to make sure its dead a loud chirp came out!!! I was sooo surprised!!!! I was still there and trying to pip a bit late! So i put it back under mama to hatch peacefully! Then i remembered that i pit that egg the second day of incubation! Oh wow i am so proud of my broody who is 8 years old and had a 100% hatch of SIXTEEN eggs!!!

 

[yyz0yyz0]

And so it begins.

I put 12 eggs under my Broody GLW last night and starting to count the days.

This is my first attempt at hatching some eggs so hopefully alll goes well with her. Right now she's in a dog crate in the garage but I'm thinking of moving her and the crate out to the run this weekend if she stays tight on the eggs till then.

Funny part is I've been waiting all spring for a broody hen and the day I moved her to the dog crate there was another hen going Broody. DOH! Wish I had room for both of them to sit on eggs, guess I gotta get out my broody breaker.

 

[Majd]

And so it begins.

I put 12 eggs under my Broody GLW last night and starting to count the days.

This is my first attempt at hatching some eggs so hopefully alll goes well with her.  Right now she's in a dog crate in the garage but I'm thinking of moving her and the crate out to the run this weekend if she stays tight on the eggs till then.

Funny part is I've been waiting all spring for a broody hen and the day I moved her to the dog crate there was another hen going Broody.  DOH!   Wish I had room for both of them to sit on eggs, guess I gotta get out my broody breaker.

Nice! And don't forget to force your broody out to eat and drink and eliminate! Or else she might starve herself to the point of collapsing! Especially that you monitored her nesting place! This is a deadly mistake many newbies to broodies make.
Hope all goes well woth her and you get a good first hatch!