Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

My broody hen did something today that still has me chuckling.

I was out cleaning when she got off her nest for her afternoon meal, drink and broody deposit of yesterdays recycled food and drink. I noticed her by her window fussing around her food container until she finally took her foot and scratched at it until she spilled it. Since I was there, I refilled her food bowl and I'll be if she didn't start scratching at it again until she tipped it. She then jumped up on one of the roost poles and went right over to a small bowl that I used to put treats in for the junior roosters to enjoy and looked down at it as if looking to see what was in it. It dawned on me what she wanted. She wanted treats and was telling me in the only way she knew how.

I took a spare food bowl inside and filled it up with scratch and sunflower seeds, set it in front of her and she gobbled it down, got a drink and happily went back to her nest. I was glad I was out side and was there to get her what she wanted. After all, she is the one doing all the work.

But it was a clear example of chicken sign language. Look out gorillas that communicate with sign language, Aggie the Buff Orpington is breathing down your necks.

 

[ldashby]

I need advice! I had 3 hens sitting in the same nest being broody. The first 2 were just sitting and the one was laying eggs each day then started being broody herself. Now the eggs should start hatching and have! We had 1 chick hatch today. Ive removed 2 of the hens so that we wouldnt have squabbling over the babies... now i wonder though about this chick... will mom care for it while waiting for more to hatch? How long can it go without food and water? Pleade help!!
Thank you

 

[PD-Riverman]

I need advice! I had 3 hens sitting in the same nest being broody. The first 2 were just sitting and the one was laying eggs each day then started being broody herself. Now the eggs should start hatching and have! We had 1 chick hatch today. Ive removed 2 of the hens so that we wouldnt have squabbling over the babies... now i wonder though about this chick... will mom care for it while waiting for more to hatch? How long can it go without food and water? Pleade help!!
Thank you

Advice---In the future "I" would only allow one broody per nest from the start. You need to remove ALL eggs Daily from ALL nest even if there is a hen in the nest at the time----I don't pass that nest. If its a hen going broody and you want to set her after a couple days of her staying on the nest---Then "YOU" take fresh layed fertile eggs from other hens(not some she has been setting on all day), and place them under her----ALL at the same time and do not add more later----If you are not going to move her to a private pen----then you will have to mark these eggs clearly and check under her every day and remove any un-marked/fresh layed eggs. Doing this does not create/allow a staggered hatch---so all her eggs that are good will hatch at the same time---usually within 24 hrs.

Now to your problem, the Chick is good for up to 3 days without food or water---it has the yolk it absorbed at hatch to survive on. IF you did not remove fresh layed eggs from under the hens daily----you got a staggered hatch which is not good. If that's the case---you got to mark those eggs if you have more hens that could lay even more eggs in that nest and remove fresh layed eggs daily---leaving the marked ones. I would put the other 2 hens back on the nest with her. In a couple days I would go to the nest after dark and take the first setting hen and chicks and remove them-----put them far enough away that the 2 remaining hens can not hear the chicks. Then let the 2 remaining hens set on the remaining eggs----if another one hatches in a day or so---I would remove it at night and put it under the first hen you removed-----doing that in total darkness. Let the two remaining hens set---if more eggs hatch----after a couple days I would remove the next in line hen and hatched chicks to another location----if more chicks hatch in a day or so place them under the second hen at night----then allow the last hen to set till she comes off the nest with the remaining chicks that hatch. That to me would be the best way with your situation. Good Luck

 

[WVduckchick]

@PD-Riverman today is day 20, maybe 21, for the first few eggs under my broody. I didn't know better at the time, so I left eggs with her for 4 days before I started removing more, and separated her. So now its time for the first ones to be due (I saw an internal pip last night) but the later eggs are going to need a couple more days. Will she likely stay put long enough for them all to hatch?

Two of her sisters have now gone broody next to her (but separated by wire), so I should start removing all their eggs, then give them some back, all at one time? (they just started within the last few days) and I could use them if the need arises to "finish" any of the initial ones? Then give all chicks back to the first girl?

 

[PD-Riverman]

@PD-Riverman today is day 20, maybe 21, for the first few eggs under my broody. I didn't know better at the time, so I left eggs with her for 4 days before I started removing more, and separated her. So now its time for the first ones to be due (I saw an internal pip last night) but the later eggs are going to need a couple more days. Will she likely stay put long enough for them all to hatch?

Two of her sisters have now gone broody next to her (but separated by wire), so I should start removing all their eggs, then give them some back, all at one time? (they just started within the last few days) and I could use them if the need arises to "finish" any of the initial ones? Then give all chicks back to the first girl?

OK, good you started getting the added eggs out before to many days past. Its hard to say----a lot of hens will stay put. Some will not--- so you will need to monitor her or remove the chicks as they hatch and come out from under her---put them under some heat till she gets through--then give them back at early night OR put the unhatched eggs in the incubator.

One other thing """I""" would Never do during hatching time is tilt her up to see the eggs and For SURE not remove a egg to candle it again during Hatching time-----she needs all her moisture to hatch the eggs and tilting her allows it to escape----could cause hatching problems, But I know you have a situation that I never have to deal with so you have to handle it the way you feel is best. Good Luck

Oh your other question----I would Highly suggest for now and the future as long as you keep chickens-----if it is in your control-----to remove ALL eggs From ALL nest Daily and do not skip a nest because a hen is setting on it. The reason is---the eggs will still be good for eating because they have only been under her a few hours---want hurt anything. Plus should you allow her to set---there want be any eggs a day or two older then the rest-----which is Why I mention every time---Fresh Layed eggs put under her---if a egg has been under her all day----if you add more later that day to that one---it will hatch probably a day earlier. I want all mine to hatch the same day if possible---which I do everything in my power to make that possible.

Some people will put a couple fake eggs under a broody that has just started setting----which is a good thing---it allows her to keep some eggs and allows you to know if she is going to stay put.

Let me define "Fresh Eggs" in my opinion----any eggs that has been layed in the last week, that has not been in a cold fridge or setting in the hot sun or has not been under a broody for a day or more. If I got a broody starting and I want her to set---I start saving eggs from chickens I want her to hatch----keep in mind all my chickens are separated by breeds----over 60 chicken pens here---when I get enough eggs for her nest and she has been staying put---I Move her to the hatching pen at night----if she is a first time broody I will give her a day to make sure she will stay in the new location---then set her the next day----Other hens that have been broody and hatched before----I set them on the fresh eggs in the hatching pen at the same time.

You know you do not have to move her----but if you don't you got to mark her "set" eggs clearly and remove fresh added eggs to her nest Daily to prevent a Staggered hatch.

Some people say they just let nature take its course-----that does NOT work when "WE" humans pen up the chickens. A free-ranged hen will go off and hide her nest and lay her eggs in it daily till she gets ready to set----then she will set----most other hens will not know where her nest is to add eggs----that's why Sooooooo many people post on here that their Hen(they thought was gone) showed back up with a bunch of chicks-----Nature Took its Course and she did not have "US" nosey Humans having our hands all in her nest candling her eggs and pulling them out at hatch time, looking under her, etc------That's why I do what I do---I duplicate nature as much as possible, still keeping them confined and safe and I have Great hatches with All My broodies---over 70 broody hens in just the last year.

 

[ldashby]

I had no idea what was going on until it was happening. I have seperated the hen and will try integrating the 2 hens back. I seperated them so that the one that has a chick could be alone. It sounds like I've made a royal mess out of the whole thing!

i will definitely attempt your idea asap. The chick that hatched is 24 hours old now.

 

[WVduckchick]

OK, good you started getting the added eggs out before to many days past. Its hard to say----a lot of hens will stay put. Some will not--- so you will need to monitor her or remove the chicks as they hatch and come out from under her---put them under some heat till she gets through--then give them back at early night OR put the unhatched eggs in the incubator.

One other thing """I""" would Never do during hatching time is tilt her up to see the eggs and For SURE not remove a egg to candle it again during Hatching time-----she needs all her moisture to hatch the eggs and tilting her allows it to escape----could cause hatching problems, But I know you have a situation that I never have to deal with so you have to handle it the way you feel is best. Good Luck

Oh your other question----I would Highly suggest for now and the future as long as you keep chickens-----if it is in your control-----to remove ALL eggs From ALL nest Daily and do not skip a nest because a hen is setting on it. The reason is---the eggs will still be good for eating because they have only been under her a few hours---want hurt anything. Plus should you allow her to set---there want be any eggs a day or two older then the rest-----which is Why I mention every time---Fresh Layed eggs put under her---if a egg has been under her all day----if you add more later that day to that one---it will hatch probably a day earlier. I want all mine to hatch the same day if possible---which I do everything in my power to make that possible.

Some people will put a couple fake eggs under a broody that has just started setting----which is a good thing---it allows her to keep some eggs and allows you to know if she is going to stay put.

Let me define "Fresh Eggs" in my opinion----any eggs that has been layed in the last week, that has not been in a cold fridge or setting in the hot sun or has not been under a broody for a day or more. If I got a broody starting and I want her to set---I start saving eggs from chickens I want her to hatch----keep in mind all my chickens are separated by breeds----over 60 chicken pens here---when I get enough eggs for her nest and she has been staying put---I Move her to the hatching pen at night----if she is a first time broody I will give her a day to make sure she will stay in the new location---then set her the next day----Other hens that have been broody and hatched before----I set them on the fresh eggs in the hatching pen at the same time.

You know you do not have to move her----but if you don't you got to mark her "set" eggs clearly and remove fresh added eggs to her nest Daily to prevent a Staggered hatch.

Some people say they just let nature take its course-----that does NOT work when "WE" humans pen up the chickens. A free-ranged hen will go off and hide her nest and lay her eggs in it daily till she gets ready to set----then she will set----most other hens will not know where her nest is to add eggs----that's why Sooooooo many people post on here that their Hen(they thought was gone) showed back up with a bunch of chicks-----Nature Took its Course and she did not have "US" nosey Humans having our hands all in her nest candling her eggs and pulling them out at hatch time, looking under her, etc------That's why I do what I do---I duplicate nature as much as possible, still keeping them confined and safe and I have Great hatches with All My broodies---over 70 broody hens in just the last year.

Thanks for your thoughts. I hate learning things "after" the fact, but I guess that's when we start researching...after something has happened. So... I just checked on her and 3 eggs were sticking out from under her chest and I see a pip in one. After looking at the calendar again, today is actually day 22 for the oldest egg, day 19 for the newest, so I'm hoping they will all hatch close enough together. I think if she starts moving around before they finish, I'll stick the unhatched ones under the other broody and hope for the best. I can bring them into the incubator if necessary too.

I dont always agree with all of your methods, but do respect that you have great experience, and I appreciate that you share it!! So thank you again!

 

[JessHeller]

Hi!
I just wanted to thank all of you who responded to my plea for help with my first experience with a broody hen. I ended up buying what was termed a rabbit cage, put food and water in it, and putting it on the side of the house where there was no direct sun as its warmed up pretty nicely here along the Front Range in Colorado. Pam ended up spending 6 1/2 days in the penalty box , as my husband called it, before it looked like she was ready to come out. Its been a few days now and so far so good although she does seem to have slipped a notch in the pecking order
.

 

[cmbookworm]

If someone has any feedback on my question above, I'd appreciate it. Want to know how long we should confine mama bird and baby/babies to their temporary dog carrier home before they can venture out to the larger coop

 

[trailrider330]

I generally confine mine until the chicks are 1-2 weeks old and then let them venture out with the rest of my free-ranging flock. Mama hen usually leads them back into their dog kennel until they are around 4-6 weeks, at which time they typically go into the main coop at night on their own. Once they do that, that is where they stay.

If someone has any feedback on my question above, I'd appreciate it. Want to know how long we should confine mama bird and baby/babies to their temporary dog carrier home before they can venture out to the larger coop