Broody Hen Thread!

[jcluff]

So put eggs under my first broody 5 days ago. She seems to be doing a great job covering the eggs my question is do I have to candle the eggs? I'm not to confident doing it besides they are mostly dark colored eggs. Is there a hi risk of problems if I don't or could I let it ride. I almost hate to bother the hen she is pretty serious.

 

[Sarah4]

I have a broody light Sussex right now about 8-9 months old. I was going to sell her because I only have 4 chickens and no room for extras but everyone who wanted to purchase her asked if they would get a refund if she didn't set on the eggs until hatch time. Which is ridiculous if you ask me. So I kept her and she is on day 10 of setting on 9 splash ameraucana eggs. Well her hen house mate Barbra June a black Sussex thing black with white spots has now show interest in becoming broody. She has shoved aunt may off her nest and poor aunt may is the sweetest girl so she always gets up to move and Barbra June just takes over. And man that chicken is moody right now she bites everything in site including my knuckles! It hurts! I can't move her without gloves. Any who I just don't know what to do bc I only have 2 nest boxes and I still have 2 chickens that are laying eggs but now with no nest boxes to lay in?!?!? I am so stressed out about this predicament can anyone help me with advice as to what to do with Barbra June??? I haven't gotten her any eggs yet bc as of this morning she is still laying but I'm guessing that's going to come to an end soon. P.s I don't have a rooster I only have the girls for their egg production.

 

[fisherlady]

I have a broody light Sussex right now about 8-9 months old. I was going to sell her because I only have 4 chickens and no room for extras but everyone who wanted to purchase her asked if they would get a refund if she didn't set on the eggs until hatch time. Which is ridiculous if you ask me. So I kept her and she is on day 10 of setting on 9 splash ameraucana eggs. Well her hen house mate Barbra June a black Sussex thing black with white spots has now show interest in becoming broody. She has shoved aunt may off her nest and poor aunt may is the sweetest girl so she always gets up to move and Barbra June just takes over. And man that chicken is moody right now she bites everything in site including my knuckles! It hurts! I can't move her without gloves. Any who I just don't know what to do bc I only have 2 nest boxes and I still have 2 chickens that are laying eggs but now with no nest boxes to lay in?!?!? I am so stressed out about this predicament can anyone help me with advice as to what to do with Barbra June??? I haven't gotten her any eggs yet bc as of this morning she is still laying but I'm guessing that's going to come to an end soon. P.s I don't have a rooster I only have the girls for their egg production.

If you can get a medium sized dog crate and set it in the corner of your coop you can move the original hen into it after dark....I would cover the cage with a sheet of some type to keep it dark for the first day or so. You could also create a fenced area around the box she is in with chicken wire and scrap wood to prevent the second hen from bothering her, either of these would mean you would need to open the enclosure let her out daily unless you can move one of them to another shed or garage.

 

[PD-Riverman]

my rooster is constantly looking up and warning the hens of danger he gives my Australian Shepherd a run for her money if she gets too feisty. He scared a hawk off last year. He keepa close to the hens and keeps them close to the bushes.

My roosters are too, They are always making that warning noise when a hawk, buzzard, geese, wild duck, crane, crows, even at times when doves fly over. Keep in mind I had 33 grown roosters in 33 different pens----it sounds at times like All of them are in a church choir. Some of my chicken pens are 35ft, some a little farther away from a 15 acre beaver made lake so fowl are seen every few minutes. I have been setting watching and the roosters warn about a hawk-----the hawk lands on a limb almost above a chicken pen----the roosters calm down and everyone goes back to doing their thing with a hawk still setting almost above their head. That's how the hawks get so close to them for a attack. My most recent attach when I let them out to free range was a Big Yellow Buff Hen. The hawk bit into her head tearing part of the skin on her skull----this happen just outside the door to the covered chicken yard. I came up as this attack was taking place----the hawk flew off---the hen was laying on her back---dead I thought till I got to her---she was paralyzed. I doctored her up and ended up propping her up inside a broody breaker pen for the night. It took a couple weeks before she could learn to stand again and probably a couple months before she got the walking down to where she could get around good again. She was lucky to be alive. Notice the trees in this pic. If you will look to the right there is pens under the tree's and if you will look close through the break in the tree's----you can see the water---that's the edge of the 15 acre lake.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! I am still concerned about my broody, now on day 24. Is there anyway that I can check her eggs at this point and see if they are going to do anything? I am thinking about putting some eggs into the incubator to hatch and then give to her...is this a good idea? I do have a back up plan for if she goes off the nest. But so far, with my other broody hens, they have stayed broody until they hatched chicks or I broke them (oh, then there was the one who had the largest black snake I have ever seen, try to eat her...apparently that broke her pretty quickly)
Anyway, any advise on checking the eggs or waiting until more hatch would be appreciated!
Thank you!

 

[the poppster]

Hi!  I am still concerned about my broody, now on day 24.  Is there anyway that I can check her eggs at this point and see if they are going to do anything?  I am thinking about putting some eggs into the incubator to hatch and then give to her...is this a good idea?  I do have a back up plan for if she goes off the nest.  But so far, with my other broody hens, they have stayed broody until they hatched chicks or I broke them (oh, then there was the one who had the largest black snake I have ever seen, try to eat her...apparently that broke her pretty quickly)
Anyway, any advise on checking the eggs or waiting until more hatch would be appreciated!
Thank you!

By this time you should be able to hear the eggs peeping....the chicks and hen communicate with each other days before the eggs hatch...if you stand quietly by the nest you can actually hear the chicks peeping to each other and the hen cooing to the chicks..if you can't hear anything...I have carefully checked the eggs by holding each one cupped in my hand close to my ear...you can hear the chick scuffle and peep inside the egg.

 

[carolinasculpture]

By this time you should be able to hear the eggs peeping....the chicks and hen communicate with each other days before the eggs hatch...if you stand quietly by the nest you can actually hear the chicks peeping to each other and the hen cooing to the chicks..if you can't hear anything...I have carefully checked the eggs by holding each one cupped in my hand close to my ear...you can hear the chick scuffle and peep inside the egg.

That is kind of what I thought, but all seems to be, well, too quiet. Will go down and check now...
Thank you!

 

[the poppster]

Aerial predators in my area...the usual hawks...including the Northern Goshawk, who's primarily prey is grouse. The primary threat is the Bald eagles...I don't think there is a rooster alive that would win a confrontation with a hungry Bald Eagle. So I don't free range my flock without being outside with them, that usually keeps the eagle on its perch in the front yard, with its beak drooling.

 

[carolinasculpture]

That is kind of what I thought, but all seems to be, well, too quiet. Will go down and check now...
Thank you!

. When to check...all quiet. The eggs kinda sloshed when picked up. All were duds.
So, I am going to clean her nest as she had pooed in it, and put 3 new eggs under her...and a few more in the incubator and see what happens. This time, food and water across the broody hut!
Thank you!

 

[WVduckchick]

Wow, yall have been busy, I got a little behind!

But I have a question. I candled a few of my broody's eggs last night, somewhere around day 6-8, and a couple appear different than what I am used to when I use my incubator. It appears that maybe she is not turning the eggs, as all of the "life" appears to be on one side of the egg, and no blood vessels or anything in about half of the egg. I'm guessing this is not normal, and those 2 will likely quit, but thought I would ask the pros anyway. What do you think?