Broody Hen Thread!

[Pork Pie]

This is my first round of chickens, within the first year. My flock is 7.5 months old tomorrow, and this is my first broody girl or possible broody. I am hoping so.
I guess sometime yesterday afternoon she started sitting on them.
She was on the nest still this morning.
Mid-morning today, I let the kids out to free range for a bit.
After some time she got off the nest and joined the flock. I removed 2 eggs.
Two of my EE girls laid in the nest while she was out so I believe she has 3-4 blue eggs and 3-5 browns.
I checked a bit ago and she was back on her nest. Is this normal behavior for a first timer?
Also my nesting boxes are about a foot to foot and a half off the ground, should I make her a ground level space and when is wise to move her and nest?

From my experience it seems quite normal. Your success will depend on how long she leaves the nest for, and as she is a first timer - she may be leaving the nest for too long. If two hens can lay in the same nest while she is away i am assuming that she left the eggs for over an hour? if this is the case then this may well result in a non-hatch. My broody never leaves the nest for more than 30 minutes, but she is experienced in hatching eggs so whatever she decides to do, its fine by me. It may well be that she has just become broody and that her desire to brood will get stronger in a few days (i.e. she will not leave the nest for extended periods of time). If this does happen, i would suggest removing the older eggs and starting with new ones (you can save some starting from today, and put them under her later).

Then nesting box is fine, and sometimes if you decide to move a brooding hen she will stop sitting on the eggs. I have nest boxes around the same height off the ground, and my broody has been sitting for 9 days now. When the chicks hatch, i will move them to a mini-coop on the ground. I have done this successfully on 3 occasions this year already.

Good luck!

CT

 

[DownwardDog]

First time hatch: My broody Orp is sitting on 11 EE eggs -- Day 21 is next Monday! I have a few questions:

1. We were going to go away this weekend, but it's probably not a good idea, right? They might hatch on Day 18, 19, or 20 instead?

2. The broody and her eggs are separated from the rest of the flock in our coop. She is sitting on her nest on the floor, on clean shavings (we did our yearly "bleach the entire coop" cleanout before putting her there), with aviary netting hung in a curtain from ceiling to floor, separating her from the flock. When the eggs start hatching, does she get off them so she doesn't crush the hatching chicks? How does this work? I tried to find some info on this site about it but no one mentions anything, it's all about incubator hatching.

3. Will the chicks be fine on shavings, and how close should I put their mash and water?

4. It is dipping into the high 40s at night, here in NH now. My Orp is huge and fluffy (though starting to molt) and can probably keep them toasty warm enough, right? Should I put a heating lamp in their part of the coop for when they walk around, or will they just go back under the hen when cold?

Can you tell I'm getting nervous?

 

[StarMeKritten]

First time hatch: My broody Orp is sitting on 11 EE eggs -- Day 21 is next Monday!  I have a few questions:

1.  We were going to go away this weekend, but it's probably not a good idea, right? They might hatch on Day 18, 19, or 20 instead?
I haven't had eggs hatch much before day 20. Mom will stay on the nest with them for about 1-2 days.
2.  The broody and her eggs are separated from the rest of the flock in our coop.  She is sitting on her nest on the floor, on clean shavings (we did our yearly "bleach the entire coop" cleanout before putting her there), with aviary netting hung in a curtain from ceiling to floor, separating her from the flock. When the eggs start hatching, does she get off them so she doesn't crush the hatching chicks?  How does this work? I tried to find some info on this site about it but no one mentions anything, it's all about incubator hatching.
The hen will change her posture and raise her butt up a little to give the chicks and hatching eggs some air and room
3.  Will the chicks be fine on shavings, and how close should I put their mash and water?
I use the larger sized "flake" shavings in my coops and brooder and I've never had a problem. Put the food and water far enough from the nest that mom can't reach it without getting up. If she can eat without getting up, she might poop in the nest.
4.  It is dipping into the high 40s at night, here in NH now.  My Orp is huge and fluffy (though starting to molt) and can probably keep them toasty warm enough, right?  Should I put a heating lamp in their part of the coop for when they walk around, or will they just go back under the hen when cold?
They should be fine with only mom for heat. I have had broodies hatch eggs with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens. The chicks just snuggle up with mom when they need to get warm. I've also noticed that chicks seem to feather in much faster in the winter.

Can you tell I'm getting nervous?

 

[chickistheword]

Our chicken coop is an old 2 stall horse barn that we converted into a coop. We have 16 nest boxes on one side, and the other side was empty. At first, I tried to move her into the empty stall with her eggs and she refused to sit on them. Then I tried to confine her into a large dog kennel with straw and her eggs. She started freaking out in the kennel. She started flopping around and started hitting her head on the top of the kennel. When I put her eggs into the original nest, she hopped right back on them. Today she hasn't abandoned them at all, so I am hoping she is getting the hang of it. If not, I don't know what else to do to move her. We are new at this

 

[chickistheword]

How did you go about trying to separate her from the rest? I have separated over 60 in a little over a year without a problem.

Sorry about the repost, it didn't copy or reply the first time.

Our chicken coop is an old 2 stall horse barn that we converted into a coop. We have 16 nest boxes on one side, and the other side was empty. At first, I tried to move her into the empty stall with her eggs and she refused to sit on them. Then I tried to confine her into a large dog kennel with straw and her eggs. She started freaking out in the kennel. She started flopping around and started hitting her head on the top of the kennel. When I put her eggs into the original nest, she hopped right back on them. Today she hasn't abandoned them at all, so I am hoping she is getting the hang of it. If not, I don't know what else to do to move her. We are new at this

 

[goingducks]

We have two hens that lay but one just stopped laying one day she's a polish, and one went broody (polish/silkie)and sat on a fake egg for about a month before we took the egg away so she would come out of the house but she didn't lay the whole time the fake egg was under her and hadn't laid one since..

 

[goingducks]

We also just introduced a 4 month old silkie to the two girls and our polish rooster and they all ignore her and she runs away from them when they get close... The silkie is really tame and likes to be picked up I think she wants to be a human and not a chicken lol.. Any advice?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Our chicken coop is an old 2 stall horse barn that we converted into a coop. We have 16 nest boxes on one side, and the other side was empty. At first, I tried to move her into the empty stall with her eggs and she refused to sit on them. Then I tried to confine her into a large dog kennel with straw and her eggs. She started freaking out in the kennel. She started flopping around and started hitting her head on the top of the kennel. When I put her eggs into the original nest, she hopped right back on them. Today she hasn't abandoned them at all, so I am hoping she is getting the hang of it. If not, I don't know what else to do to move her. We are new at this

Chickistheword

What I do is get my "hatching pen" ready. A hatching pen can be many things, it needs to have a nesting area and a place the broody can get off the nest to get food and water and poop. A Large wire dog kennel will work with the nest at the back and food/water at the front. Its not good to have her food where she can reach it while sitting in the nest. The Dog kennel will have to be modified with smaller wire so the little chicks can not get through to the outside----Mama can not protect them if the go through the wire while she is still in the wire. Once the pen is ready, I make sure she is ready----what I do to have my hen ready is I have her in a nesting box that can be picked up while she is still setting on the eggs---If I have to I get this ready a day or two ahead so she has settled down to the new nest----in the original place. Once everything is ready I place food and water in my hatching pen---if you use a dog kennel you will have to place the nest in first--have the food and water setting there to put in. That night after DARK using no light I go get her---if its black dark I will flash my light on for 1 second at a time to get my bearings----I pick her/nest and all up gently and carry to the hatching pen----using no light---only a flash from my light if I need it. I place her/nest in the hatching pen and back away as quick as possible. When its breaking daylight the next morning---as she can start seeing----she will see the food and water and she will sit right there till she decides to get off the eggs to poop, eat and drink. She will realize this is her place and she is not having to share it. This year I have moved over 60 and I have never had one to go crazy and stop setting doing it this way. I do not go even close to the Hatching pen the next day----you can see at a distance her food and water is fine-----you will not have to look under her for fresh layed eggs. Works great For me!

 

[PD-Riverman]

We have two hens that lay but one just stopped laying one day she's a polish, and one went broody (polish/silkie)and sat on a fake egg for about a month before we took the egg away so she would come out of the house but she didn't lay the whole time the fake egg was under her and hadn't laid one since..

Goingduck, question---why did you put fake eggs under her? I do this to keep her happy/setting while I am collecting eggs for her to set on-----if I want her to set! If I do not want her to set---as soon as I see that is her plans---I put her in a breaking cage----usually after about 3 full days in a wire bottom cage with no nesting---just food and water---she will break and will usually start back laying in a few days. I just do not want my hens setting there for weeks unless they are setting on eggs to hatch.

 

[goingducks]

Well we were told to put an egg under her when she goes broody because when we were taking all her eggs she started laying outside the coop and would not come in the house at night.. We did not want her to get mad and move her nest again, because she is gonna end up dead if she stays out at night