Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

Wildflower13, I'm so sorry for your loss

I hope the rest are ok.

 

[the poppster]

I just caught one of my Buff O's occupying a nest. She had been in it for about an hour while I was out working in the barn.  So on a whim I took an egg out of the next beside her, set it in front of her on the hope that she would roll it under her. Instead she gave me a wild stink eye look that made me pick up the egg and run for my life. You'd think I'd asked her to volunteer for dinner as the main course.

I'll give the fake egg thing a try.  My husband just said that he bet before the end of the summer I had my new coop and run up and going and would be filling up the old coop with chickens also. I'm fighting rooster wars right now and keep threatening to put up a rooster pen if they don't start leaving my heels and ankles alone. I have great roosters except that since spring three of them have developed the occasional urge to beat up my muck boots when I go into the run. It would be funny except for the fact that my feet are in the muck boots at the time.

Give the girls a bit more time...Cochins do tend to be broody....put a clutch of fake eggs in one of the nest boxes and see what happens...I've got some Broiler Eggs coming next week...put a few fake eggs out...hoping for another broody...be careful what you wish for! It's looking like I've got lots of volunteers.....as far as the Roosters going after you...turn the tables on them...I chase them down, pick him up, and tuck him in a nice football hold, and go about my business. After a few catch and carry sessions...all I have to do is turn my attention on the attacker and he usually stays as far out of reach as possible.

 

[the poppster]

Should I be?? My husband and I are very new and we were worried that it would disturb them too much to have us removing eggs daily... We have been letting them keep them so far. We know that the silkie eggs that are being laid in there are fertilized but not sure on the rest..

I've got two broody sisters in the same broody pen....I will be separating them in the next couple days. They finally got off the eggs for a bite of food and drink...they just about raced each other back to the nest box and proceeded to steal eggs from each other. This won't do. I'm not taking any chances...and this is the first broody for both of them.
I would separate the broody hens into a temporary broody cage for each. And yes take any new eggs out of the nests! If the girls are truly broody...they aren't laying any more eggs....those new ones are from the othe hens. If you don't you will have a very extended hatch...and after the oldest eggs hatch...the hen is likely to abandoned the rest of the eggs. Viable or not...she is will go with the chicks a day or so after the first chicks hatch. You could also break one of the broody hens and isolate the other with the eggs they have been setting. Check them in a week or so and eliminate any duds...keep the ones that are developing...and see what happens...if she abandons the eggs and they have started to peep...incubate them to hatch within hearing of the mom and chicks...then slip them under her from behind at night with as little fuss as possible...she may accept them...you should do some reading on broody hens and hatching eggs...it's not too late!

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Poultry Math Its a thing...I started with 16 hatchery birds on Nov 18 then had 1 death and adopted out 2 so dropped to the 13 thought we had 5 roosters. So went shopping at Danz hoping for 6 hens ended up with 5 hens and the 1 and only rooster (that I know of) then went to Danz today for 4 Midget White Turkeys and wouldn't you know it I came home with 11 peeping babies 4 pouts 2 Black Mottled Orps, 3 Jubilee, 2 Suxxex to ADD to the 6 ( 1 Mottled, 4 Brahmas,and yes a Partridge in a tree (well ok Brooder but close enough THANKS Danz your the BEST!!!!! I'm Dani4Hedgies and I am not ashamed to say I'm a Poultry Addict....

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Poultry Math Its a thing...I started with 16 hatchery birds on Nov 18 then had 1 death and adopted out 2 so dropped to the 13 thought we had 5 roosters. So went shopping at Danz hoping for 6 hens ended up with 5 hens and the 1 and only rooster (that I know of) then went to Danz today for 4 Midget White Turkeys and wouldn't you know it I came home with 11 peeping babies 4 pouts 2 Black Mottled Orps, 3 Jubilee, 2 Suxxex to ADD to the 6 ( 1 Mottled, 4 Brahmas,and yes a Partridge in a tree (well ok Brooder but close enough THANKS Danz your the BEST!!!!! I'm Dani4Hedgies and I am not ashamed to say I'ma Poultry Addict....

Hi Dani4Hedgies....

LofMc

 

[microchick]

Give the girls a bit more time...Cochins do tend to be broody....put a clutch of fake eggs in one of the nest boxes and see what happens...I've got some Broiler Eggs coming next week...put a few fake eggs out...hoping for another broody...be careful what you wish for! It's looking like I've got lots of volunteers.....as far as the Roosters going after you...turn the tables on them...I chase them down, pick him up, and tuck him in a nice football hold, and go about my business. After a few catch and carry sessions...all I have to do is turn my attention on the attacker and he usually stays as far out of reach as possible.

Yep, I started the great egg switch yesterday and put 8 fake eggs in the nest for them to stare at. I just hope they don't stare at them too hard cause I filled old plastic Easter eggs with bird seed to give them some weight, painted them to look like real eggs and did the switch. I used the same eggs to train them to next for laying so I'm keeping my fingers crossed even though I'll probably wind up with more broodies than I know what to do with. LOL

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Yep Microchick its great to be among friends

 

[nchls school]

I have 2 mille fleur d' uccle bantams that are broody and decided to do so in the SAME nest box!! None of my other hens will lay their eggs in any other nest box. My question is.. Will these two communally raise the chicks or am I going to have to seperate them once they start hatching??
Thanks!!!

When my serama hatch chicks close to the same time, the two hens raise them together. At times I have had three hens do the same. This occurs even when there nests are completely separate. The same with my silkies and mixed breed. Since your hens are brooding the same nest I bet they will raise the chicks together.

 

[WildHens]

Give the girls a bit more time...Cochins do tend to be broody....put a clutch of fake eggs in one of the nest boxes and see what happens...I've got some Broiler Eggs coming next week...put a few fake eggs out...hoping for another broody...be careful what you wish for! It's looking like I've got lots of volunteers.....as far as the Roosters going after you...turn the tables on them...I chase them down, pick him up, and tuck him in a nice football hold, and go about my business. After a few catch and carry sessions...all I have to do is turn my attention on the attacker and he usually stays as far out of reach as possible.

For the rooster thing..yes x2!!!
I have one WCB bantam Polish boy who is WAY to big for his britches. I didn't raise him.. so I can't say if it's his genetics or if he was just not used to ever being handled.
The first few weeks, I let it slide bc he was new and I thought maybe he was just trying to be a good boy and protect his lady. .HOWEVER..the quarantine pen is an old rabbit hutch and when you'd lean in to add feed , water, etc..he'd come, spurs first, at my face.. well at first I'd just hold up the very heavy metal scoop I have and he'd hit it and be distracted long enough for me to feed..
Well fast forward a month, time to leave that pen and go out to a bigger one.. he calmed down slightly having a larger area to protect (or more room to avoid me).. but would still attack my boots, and one day my 6 year old son was with me, and he hit him.. that was the final straw..
First I made him back away from me all over his pen and run..in front of all the girls, and within view of all the pens and roosters nearby. Then I scooped him up..carried him under my arm sorta upside down but not all the way all over the farm, inside while I filled waterers, etc...I have a 100lb pittie that thinks she's the chickens mom.so of course she was on my heels for the hour I carried him.. every few mins I'd stop, and let her lick him all over the face (she'd never hurt him but figured it was as degrading as it could be for him).. I did that every day for a week..
His name is still Dupek (he's polish, you'll have to Google it).. but he now knows that I am top roo no matter what he wants or thinks.. now I can go in his pen, sit down and he will come over and take treats from my hand, no more spurs flying at me..
Sadly, I got him to breed, but can't sell his hens eggs or chicks bc I have no clue still if it's genetic or environment. . But I am hatching her babies and growing them out to see. .I have a very nice self white boy that just started crowing that I will probably pair with her for fun just to get some babies that are sweet tempered but unfortunately no clue what colors that odd pairing will throw :\

 

[WildHens]

Poultry Math Its a thing...I started with 16 hatchery birds on Nov 18 then had 1 death and adopted out 2 so dropped to the 13 thought we had 5 roosters. So went shopping at Danz hoping for 6 hens ended up with 5 hens and the 1 and only rooster (that I know of) then went to Danz today for 4 Midget White Turkeys and wouldn't you know it I came home with 11 peeping babies 4 pouts 2 Black Mottled Orps, 3 Jubilee, 2 Suxxex to ADD to the 6 ( 1 Mottled, 4 Brahmas,and yes a Partridge in a tree (well ok Brooder but close enough THANKS Danz your the BEST!!!!! I'm Dani4Hedgies and I am not ashamed to say I'm a Poultry Addict....

Is Danz a store ???
Wish we had some place like that around here!! I had to accumulate my Orps via mostly shipped eggs, a several hour drive for some chicks and one very very sweet @WVduckchickthat came my way with some hatching eggs ♡♡