Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

Ok, I misunderstood the phrasing then... I just use a black sharpie and draw a circle around the center of each egg, then it is quick and easy to check for new donations. Ours do their sitting and hatching in the coop also most of the time, so checking daily for extras is needed.

Yep, I had considered moving the broody and her eggs to a smaller coop below the main coop but the upper coop is the roosting area and right now being warmed by a couple of light bulbs at night due to the wet, cold temps we were having causing some frost bite in two of the roosters who didn't have the sense to stick their heads under their wings. The temp stays in the mid 20s so I'm sure it is more comfortable for her as we are having colder temps this week after having temps in the 60s last week. Very strange winter here where we are.

My plan is that once the chicks hatch and they leave the nest, we can move them down to the smaller coop where they will be safe from being trampled by the other birds yet be able to see one another as it has a floor level window in it.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Maybe because she has her own Occupation set up in their favorite box? Anybody else had that happen when a hen went broody?

Microchick. I Never have that problem and I have set around 60 in the last year alone, But I Move ALL broody hens to a hatching pen. I do not have to check under her daily for added eggs, rarely have a broke egg, never come home to her sitting on eggs in a different nest with all the original cold as ice. She sits in her happy nest, hatching all her babies with no interuption/aggrivations.

After they hatch---I do not have to worry about other chickens pecking or stomping the chicks or Mother hen having to fight---protecting them.

 

[microchick]

Thanks PD Riverman. I've been checking the boxes every couple of hours for eggs. I'm retired so no problem for me to do that. If the weather was any warmer I would have moved her down to my nursery coop where I have two brooding boxes set up. I plan to mover her there along with the chicks once they are hatched but it's supposed to be 4 degrees tonight and I want her to have the heat produced from her flock mates along with the warmth from two black light bulbs to help keep her warm. Our weather here has been cold one week, mild and almost spring like the next.

Aggie has been glued to that nest since Saturday, scolding the other hens and anyone else that has the bad judgement to come near her so I'm not too worried about her abandoning her current nest. I don't think she can count past 5 as she has always claimed the nest that has 5 eggs in it in the past.

 

[TotesMcGoats]

I have a broody bantam cochin. Can this be unhealthy for them or is it just a normal hormonal process? It has been about a month since she started showing the signs, and she's definitely progressed to no longer laying.

 

[mndrockhunter]

I have a broody turkey that jumped the fence and made a nest, i just found it, I've not seen her sitting until today, i knew she was as laying somewhere just didn't know where. i tried moving her and the eggs inside the fence but she went right back over the fence so i have the eggs back. We do have a male turkey but they have not appeared to "figure out the logistics of mating" so i don't think they are fertile. How long should i let her sit there?

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a broody turkey that jumped the fence and made a nest, i just found it, I've not seen her sitting until today, i knew she was as laying somewhere just didn't know where. i tried moving her and the eggs inside the fence but she went right back over the fence so i have the eggs back. We do have a male turkey but they have not appeared to "figure out the logistics of mating" so i don't think they are fertile. How long should i let her sit there?

Let her sit on them a few days---then candle them----if they are no good----put some fertile chicken eggs under her---OR if ""I"" did not want her to set----""I"" would cage break her-----not let her sit for weeks for nothing.

 

[microchick]

Well, my silly hen just made a liar out of me. I went out to check for eggs and the little twerp was sitting on the nest next to her and on two eggs. Her eggs still felt warmish, thank goodness. One felt a little cool but along with the 7 I had her setting, there were 6 more since I had done an egg count yesterday around noon. She must have had some tucked up under a wing because I swear I only counted 7 yesterday. I pulled all the eggs out from under her that weren't numbered, plopped her back on her eggs with a firm SIT! STAY! and proceeded to close off the main coop and move nesting boxes into the smaller nursery coop. I'm sure the other hens are not going to be pleased but hey, life is tough.

She was probably off the nest for an hour or so. I last checked things at noon and everything was normal. Aggie was on her nest and another Buff O on the nest next to her laying an egg. Since there was two eggs in the nest I'm going to guess that the longest she could have been off the nest was 90min and the shortest amount of time was maybe 30 given the amount of warmth still in the eggs. It's cold today. The high temp 25.

Opinions please. Was any harm done?

I cracked the eggs I took away from her and two showed definite development meaning they were probably laid in the nest late Sunday after I did egg count. I was counting fast due to the cold weather and rain, so yes, she could have been hiding them away under her wings. She might have just got on the two eggs because she couldn't cover all the donated eggs, another reason for banning the other hens from the regular nesting boxes.

Silly girls. Now I'm hoping no damage was done. At what point do you candle and then start over if you have to?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Well, my silly hen just made a liar out of me. I went out to check for eggs and the little twerp was sitting on the nest next to her and on two eggs.

It happens, she got off to poop, eat, drink and when she came back another hen was in her nest---so she took the one beside it with a couple eggs-----what makes this really bad is if it happens late in the evening with 12/14/16 day old eggs---that die over night. I move Mine in the beginning so I do not have to deal with this and other problems! If you decide to move her---it needs to be done properly or she might quit. Good Luck!

 

[goldie1234]

I have 6 nest boxes in my coop...they are built into the wall with hinged doors that open into the garage. I don't have to go into the coop to collect the eggs. I built a cage that attaches to the nest box (any of the 6 nest boxes) inside the garage...the cage is big enough for the hen to stretch her legs, eat and drink. When I get a broody I attach the cage to her nest box and block off the access to the coop...she is "with" the flock...they can hear her, but she doesn't have anyone trying to push into her nest. They seem to like it. When all the chicks hatch I move them into a chicken tractor, that I made just for hens with chicks...she and the babies go out on to grass. With a nice big nest box and run just for them. They can see and hear the flock...but till the time comes...they are safe. While Mom shows them how to be chickens.

Do you have a picture of the tractor?

 

[microchick]

She seemed content to be back on her eggs so that was probably what happened. Luckily she hasn't showed any signs of actually quitting. It's probably easier to make the other hens use the lower coop's nesting boxes to lay their eggs and leave her alone in the upper nest box. I would be more worried about her not wanting to be in a 'strange' nest.

At this point I'm just hoping no damage was done. I was glad to feel warmth in the eggs yet so they hadn't chilled completely, except for one that was coolish to the touch. I was probably on the outside parameter of the hen that was 'squatting' while Aggie was off the nest. I'm going to candle in a few days and see what is going on. Hopefully we will see things progressing.