Broody Hen Thread!

[Pure Poultry]

Although this isn't about broody hens it relates. I was trying to get rooster and tossing up between a Australorp and Light Sussex. Wanted some opinions on the breeds and their roosters

 

[GitaBooks]

I had three hens go broody on me....one started and the others must have thought it looked like a good idea..so they joined in...I had 9 eggs under the original hen and just before they were supposed to hatch (couple days) I slipped a few under the other two hens...when they hatched...the hens went right into Mama mode...It has been a pain with three broody tractors....but I circled them like wagons and put up a temporary pen for the three little families...they will be introduced back into the flock by next week...they've already spent a few days in a temp pen on the yard with the rest of the flock. .they all survived...so it's time.

Cool.

I'm glad it worked out.

 

[GitaBooks]

Ya think?? If I was a hen and a skunk was trying to find a way to make me "Dinner" I would be a bit disturbed....get rid of the skunk..cause It will not go on its own...Trap it...Shoot it...what ever you prefer...but get it GONE...before it finds a way into your coop.

Yep, we got rid of it. Finally. It is nice not to go out in the morning and find a bunch of broken eggs.

 

[cochinsarecute]

Well, I don't tend to make animal decisions based on what I would want, as my goals differ substantially from the average chicken....but I do see her eating several times a day especially if I lift her often.  I know it's not really worse than a bath, and she goes out in the cold rain fairly happily, but I'm betting the show birds get warm water and drying off, and not several times a day!    I'll see if the next couple of days bring a change, but if she's not over herself by the weekend, she'll have to sit a while longer.  I do keep an eye on her condition, but I was surprised that she went clucky again so soon.  I guess she's maybe laid a half dozen eggs since last time.  I think that in the past, we let clucky hens hatch out their chicks (or they went into the bush and  hid and came back wtih chicks, which happened quite often.)  I'm not used to hens randomly deciding to spend a couple weeks sitting on nothing.

Wonder what she would do if I put a cool pack into her nest area.

As long as she's eating and drinking I'd do like you and keep putting her out sounds like she's still thinking about it. Once truely broody though most birds refuse to eat sometimes for days even when you put them out which is fine for a few weeks if hatching eggs but if not I don't see the point in making them sit and wait it out its hard on the bird and then a hard molt usually follows which is also taxing on a birds condition and if she's going to go broddy several tines a year and it sounds like she's very clucky as silkies tend to be I just worry about her getting run down I've even seen people have broodys starve themselves to death sitting on nests of infertile eggs while they waited it out. Yes a cold pack on the nest would help bring her temp down and discouraged her from sitting I've never tried that but I am sure my other ladies wouldn't like cold pack in all there nests I can see them giving me the stink eye now lol I just do it the way my granny always did and it works and is quick never had to give more than 4 cool not cold baths the broddy cage works too but not as fast and they usually get picked on a few days when reintroduced to the flock good luck with your clucky ladie

 

[CanaDawn]

As long as she's eating and drinking I'd do like you and keep putting her out sounds like she's still thinking about it. Once truely broody though most birds refuse to eat sometimes for days even when you put them out which is fine for a few weeks if hatching eggs but if not I don't see the point in making them sit and wait it out its hard on the bird and then a hard molt usually follows which is also taxing on a birds condition and if she's going to go broddy several tines a year and it sounds like she's very clucky as silkies tend to be I just worry about her getting run down

I've even seen people have broodys starve themselves to death sitting on nests of infertile eggs while they waited it out. Yes a cold pack on the nest would help bring her temp down and discouraged her from sitting I've never tried that but I am sure my other ladies wouldn't like cold pack in all there nests I can see them giving me the stink eye now lol I just do it the way my granny always did and it works and is quick never had to give more than 4 cool not cold baths the broddy cage works too but not as fast and they usually get picked on a few days when reintroduced to the flock good luck with your clucky ladie

I've only got three birds, and the Seramas are absolutely not interested. They more or less show up at the back door insisting I come get their eggs the moment they are laid. They haven't been upset with the Silkie, but are SO happy to have her around when she gets up. She was up already this morning, running around. I don't seem to think she molted last time, other than the patch on her chest. I'll see what I can do.

 

[DomesticDiva12]

I have three broodies right now two silkie and a cochin only one silkie has eggs will the others try to take her chicks when they r born next week?

I would bet they will. When my broody was hatching her eggs (once they started pipping) suddenly I had 2 hens, that had not been broody the entire 3 weeks, try stealing eggs from under my broody. I locked them away until the chicks hatched and then everyone was fine but you never know

 

[the poppster]

Yep, we got rid of it. Finally. It is nice not to go out in the morning and find a bunch of broken eggs.

Good!!!Glad to hear that! Ya just never know, some people don't think it's right to eliminate a predator...they think it will go away on its own...till it gets to the birds...nothing sadder than finding a coop full of dead and dying birds, because the owner can't stomach the thought of doing away with a threat to their birds safety...Good Job!

 

[cochinsarecute]

I've only got three birds, and the Seramas are absolutely not interested.  They more or less show up at the back door insisting I come get their eggs the moment they are laid.  They haven't been upset with the Silkie, but are SO happy to have her around when she gets up.  She was up already this morning, running around.  I don't seem to think she molted last time, other than the patch on her chest.  I'll see what I can do.

glad she's out and about today I've always thought Seramas were so cute the way they stand always made me think they must have big personalities in those tiny bodies sounds like yours are super smart.Ive never had any I bet they are a cute trio running around the yard

 

[CanaDawn]

glad she's out and about today I've always thought Seramas were so cute the way they stand always made me think they must have big personalities in those tiny bodies sounds like yours are super smart.Ive never had any

I bet they are a cute trio running around the yard

Well, she goes out briefly, but mostly she's on the nest. Had her out for an hour or so, but she was getting very very stressed. I'll keep trying. I wonder if mine are Seramas or Japanese Bantams, actually, but I bought them as Seramas....They're hilarious, the three of them. The Silkie is Agnes...because "she's so fluffy, I'm gonna dIIIIIEEEEEE" (Despicable Me...)

 

[Scatterknit]

Need opinions on my coop set-up as a nursery once the chicks hatch. This is the coop. The inside coop is 4x4 and the run underneath is 4x8.

Here's my problem. See this ramp? I'm worried that once the chicks hatch they might toddle out the door and off the ramp. Should I close off the door to the ramp for a couple of weeks?

This is the inside of the coop. Not sure if it's roomy enough for 2 mamas and a bunch of chicks. What do you think?

Say hello to Lucy and Betty. They're really crammed into those nesting boxes which after hatch I'm going to reconfigure so they're bigger for the next go round.