Broody Hen Thread!

[Wendy High]

Too funny!

 

[nchls school]

This little hen just started to brood her fourth clutch of eggs in six months. Each clutched hatched and was raised for three weeks and then egg laying started again.

What's harder on a hen-brooding or egg laying?

 

[microchick]

Personally I think it's brooding. Aggie is a lot lighter than her flock mates after 7 weeks spent hatching and brooding her chicks.

 

[staceemcclain]

How do you tell if a hen has gone broody? This my first time with chickens. She is laying on 8 eggs and has not come out all day!

 

[DinaKay]

@Crista yay

Ain't it just great!!!

 

[DinaKay]

@staceemcclainmine will want to sit on her eggs all day and come out for about 15 minutes to eat drink and take a dirt bath once a day. They get all fluffed out and dazed looking while sitting. Hope that helps.

 

[staceemcclain]

It does help. I was afraid something was wrong with her but I was busy and did not pick up eggs yesterday. Anything special I need to do???

 

[DinaKay]

@staceemcclain if you have any other laying hens and any who want to lay eggs with her you will want to mark the eggs she's on so u can pull any new ones...21 days and you'll have baby chicks.

 

[microchick]

How do you tell if a hen has gone broody? This my first time with chickens. She is laying on 8 eggs and has not come out all day!

Well, Staceemcclain, if she sits on a pile of eggs, looks like a feathered pancake, if she growls at you if you bother her and if she won't come off the nest all day other than to grab a quick drink, a bite to eat and make a humongous smelly pile of broody poo .......ya prolly got yerself a broody hen!

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[nchls school]

Personally I think it's brooding. Aggie is a lot lighter than her flock mates after 7 weeks spent hatching and brooding her chicks.

I can not disagree completely. My birds are serama and every egg laid,is a strain and for the smaller hens laying is longer and more labored than other breeds. During the last several days I have been busy trying to save a hen with a prolapsed vent. She did survive and has continued to lay each day. For this hen, I am hoping she goes broody soon. I wish there was an easy answer; a way to keep the hens from laying when eggs aren't wanted would be ideal. I'm seriously considering making "night" long enough to stop the laying cycle.

For my serama brooding eggs is 19 days and then new chicks hatch.