Broody Hen Thread!

[Honora]

I have a broody who has been sitting under a bush in my yard. Yesterday was Day 21, and yesterday morning she kicked an egg out of the nest. I put it in the incubator and last night it hatched! This morning I gave the chick to the broody & I saw she has at least one other chick.

I have a little coop where I can put them so they will be safe from predators. My question is, when do I move them? Do I wait till she gets up with the chicks? How long will she sit there if there are unhatched eggs? Thanks!

 

[PeckinChicken]

I have been having problems with my broodys. I have has both buff orpingtons and silver grey dorkings go broody for me, 3 so far this year and 6 last year. They brood hard, sit their whole time diligently, but I've never had more than 2 eggs hatch in a sitting. Eggtopsies show that I lose about 1/4 in the first week, little to no development and the rest die real late, probably in the last 3 days, they are all feathered and look like baby chicks. I keep the broody hens isolated in a shed for the hatching, make sure they keep food and clean water nearby. I have tried with 6 eggs to as many as 15. Every time I only get 1 or 2 hatches. Any ideas? The hens are all 2-3 years old this year.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have been having problems with my broodys. I have has both buff orpingtons and silver grey dorkings go broody for me, 3 so far this year and 6 last year. They brood hard, sit their whole time diligently, but I've never had more than 2 eggs hatch in a sitting. Eggtopsies show that I lose about 1/4 in the first week, little to no development and the rest die real late, probably in the last 3 days, they are all feathered and look like baby chicks. I keep the broody hens isolated in a shed for the hatching, make sure they keep food and clean water nearby. I have tried with 6 eggs to as many as 15. Every time I only get 1 or 2 hatches. Any ideas? The hens are all 2-3 years old this year.

That's not good. We need to talk-------I set 72 in the last year, 150 in the last 3 years, ALL hatched great hatches, usually about every fertile egg I put under them-----these 150 have hatched probably over 1000 chicks(I did not keep up with that---just averaging out) I sure will be glad to try and help, but there is so many questions I would need to know the answers to.

 

[fisherlady]

I have a broody who has been sitting under a bush in my yard. Yesterday was Day 21, and yesterday morning she kicked an egg out of the nest.  I put it in the incubator and last night it hatched!  This morning I gave the chick to the broody & I saw she has at least one other chick.  

I have a little coop where I can put them so they will be safe from predators.  My question is, when do I move them? Do I wait till she gets up with the chicks? How long will she sit there if there are unhatched eggs?  Thanks!  

Once a hen has 2 or 3 chicks hatched she can usually be moved with less fuss. Moving during the hatch is far from ideal, though... could you create a makeshift fence to keep her safe for another day? If predators are a high risk you may opt to risk the move rather than risk the predators. Only you can make that call.
If you choose to move her you (and a helper)should have her new spot prepared ahead of time. Move her, chicks and eggs to the new site and keep it dim and quiet after the move.
I hope it works out for you.

 

[fisherlady]

I have been having problems with my broodys. I have has both buff orpingtons and silver grey dorkings go broody for me, 3 so far this year and 6 last year. They brood hard, sit their whole time diligently, but I've never had more than 2 eggs hatch in a sitting. Eggtopsies show that I lose about 1/4 in the first week, little to no development and the rest die real late, probably in the last 3 days, they are all feathered and look like baby chicks. I keep the broody hens isolated in a shed for the hatching, make sure they keep food and clean water nearby. I have tried with 6 eggs to as many as 15. Every time I only get 1 or 2 hatches. Any ideas? The hens are all 2-3 years old this year.

Have all of the eggs been from the same source? If so I would consider the possibility of genetic issue with breeding stock as a possible cause.

 

[microchick]

Quick question. At what temperature should I think about switching on a small fan for my broody? I've been cracking the door on the nesting boxes and securing it so it is open about an inch and circulate air over her and a window is open on the coop itself. The coop is in our barn so there is no direct sunlight on it but it can get stuffy. There is a small fan mounted on the ceiling that I can switch on. It wouldn't blow air directly on her but it would circulate air around the coop.

Her eggs are set to hatch the weekend of the 11th and the long term forecast is for 'hot' temperatures. I knew the low 80s the first of June in Missouri couldn't last forever.

 

[Honora]

Once a hen has 2 or 3 chicks hatched she can usually be moved with less fuss. Moving during the hatch is far from ideal, though... could you create a makeshift fence to keep her safe for another day? If predators are a high risk you may opt to risk the move rather than risk the predators. Only you can make that call.
If you choose to move her you (and a helper)should have her new spot prepared ahead of time. Move her, chicks and eggs to the new site and keep it dim and quiet after the move.
I hope it works out for you.

Ok, sounds like the best plan may be to move her after she leaves the nest then. There is not a high risk of predators necessarily, she has been sitting there the whole time without being bothered. I just worry because when I had a broody last Fall we had 2 chicks killed by a possum.

I think I can risk leaving here there for another day or so though.

 

[fisherlady]

Quick question. At what temperature should I think about switching on a small fan for my broody? I've been cracking the door on the nesting boxes and securing it so it is open about an inch and circulate air over her and a window is open on the coop itself. The coop is in our barn so there is no direct sunlight on it but it can get stuffy. There is a small fan mounted on the ceiling that I can switch on. It wouldn't blow air directly on her but it would circulate air around the coop.

Her eggs are set to hatch the weekend of the 11th and the long term forecast is for 'hot' temperatures. I knew the low 80s the first of June in Missouri couldn't last forever.

We turn on fans when it hits the high 70s, not blowing on the birds but hung in a window or door up high to reduce stuffiness and make it less appealing to flies and gnats, which don't like air flow.
As long as the fan isn't blowing on her nest area directly I would go ahead with it.

 

[microchick]

Good. I'll turn it on tomorrow for her. Thanks, fisherlady.

 

[JayJo]

It's been really hot here too @microchick and I've been wondering the same thing.

I finished the new broody cage this afternoon. Tonight when I went to check on her, she was off her eggs and sitting on some ceramic eggs in the other nesting box. Classic reason I should have moved her in the first place. Anyway I set her eggs in the new broody house I'd made for her and moved her there. She settled right in, surprisingly. I'll check on her again tomorrow morning. The eggs felt cool to the touch and the ceramic eggs she'd been sitting on were very warm, so I'm not optimistic, but it was in the 90s today so I think there's a small chance they could still be viable. I'll candle tomorrow and see what I can figure out. (Although I set Maran, Olive Egger, and cream legbar eggs so I won't be able to see much. If anything.)