Broody Hen Thread!

[ShanandGem]

I have had hens and roosters a couple years but have been winging it. I need to get educated. We have tried an incubator but they never hatch. I had 2 roosters but now I am down to 1, thankfully. Not sure what "broody" means. I have some hens that I don't even think have laid any eggs. Not sure how to tell. Need to get rid of those. We tried leaving the egs in the hen house but still nothing has hatched. Need advise. We are just not getting this.

If your eggs hatched neither in the hen house or an incubator, I would question the fertility of your rooster. But also, if you have hens you think haven't even laid an egg I wonder if there is something about their environment that is causing them stress. Do they have adequate space? Proper nutrition? A clean environment? If you could tell us a little more we may be able to find the problem.

Edited to add: A broody hen is one that sits on eggs until they hatch. They become sort of flattened looking and really spread out and rarely or never leave the nest. It takes 21 days to hatch chicken eggs.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Hey 16 Paws,
She so loves the car! My oldest held her on the way to Choir Summer Camp, and she again was a big hit with the choir girls. Some asked, where did you find the baby bird? I had to tell them she was a chicken, and I helped with her hatch on Sunday. Some girls were a bit confused, because Stormy is gray, they had never see a gray chicken. I showed them the picture of the 3 chicks together, told them, the chicks all had the same Daddy, but different Mommies (I know, Birds and the Bees) LOL They could not get over how fluffy she was.
I also got to explain about splayed legs, and why she had a band-aid on her legs. One of our choir girls wears a brace on her leg, so I compared the two, so the girls would better understand.

Stormy likes the movement of the car, she does the quiet peep as we drive. It is funny how the drive also makes her sleepy. As we were heading to the choir building, my oldest daughter is telling me how Stormy's head is slowly drooping down, and then she will wake up a bit, and her head would come back up (like nodding off). On our way home, my youngest tells me that one of Stormy's leg braces came off. When we got home, I removed the other one, and so far her legs look nice and straight. She was doing a lot of tall standing at the choir building today. She has now moved up to dry chick start, so no more mush for our baby. She also got more play time with her siblings, put Mama in the coop by herself.

As I was taking her (Mama) to the coop, our 2 year old rooster, No Name started to follow, he saw Lollie in my arms. I had to shoosh him away, and he stayed around the coop, till I came back to get her. As soon as I opened the door, Lollie flew out, and No Name was right behind her. She was running and flapping and screaming, circled back towards the coop, and ran in. Before I could close the door, No Name got in too. Lollie got up on the roost ledge, and so did No Name. He was very happy to see her, if you get my drift. When they were done, I asked No Name if he was happy to see Lollie, and patted his back, and scratched his chest, then picked Lollie up and took her back to her babies.
Still not quite ready to put Stormy in with Mama & the sibs yet. May just continue the sibling play dates for a while, or until Stormy gets a little bigger.
We had quite a day's adventure today. I may let Stormy stay home tomorrow, my youngest has to get a back x-ray, and I don't think they would appreciate a baby chick in orthopedics. I may send Mama to the coop, and let the 3 siblings play. The two older ones will lay down, while Stormy is trying to snuggle against them or is cheeping for one of the to get up. LOL

 

[Chicken2015nz]

Can anyone tell me why a silkie would go broody before laying her first egg? Shes about 10 months old now and still hasnt laid an egg. I have two other hens (from a different breeder) and they started laying around 5-6 months. This particular silkie goes insanely broody and if left alone it will last for weeks and weeks. At least Ive worked out how to stop it by putting her in a separate cage for about 3 days (thanks to this thread). This is her second time being broody, but I dont understand why it is happening before she has even started laying?? She seems to be going broody every 4-5 weeks or so (even in the middle of the freezing winter).

 

[BullChick]

Can anyone tell me why a silkie would go broody before laying her first egg? Shes about 10 months old now and still hasnt laid an egg. I have two other hens (from a different breeder) and they started laying around 5-6 months. This particular silkie goes insanely broody and if left alone it will last for weeks and weeks. At least Ive worked out how to stop it by putting her in a separate cage for about 3 days (thanks to this thread). This is her second time being broody, but I dont understand why it is happening before she has even started laying?? She seems to be going broody every 4-5 weeks or so (even in the middle of the freezing winter).

It just happens sometimes. It doesn't even have to be a naturally broody breed. Sometimes a woman just wants to be a mom.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Can anyone tell me why a silkie would go broody before laying her first egg? Shes about 10 months old now and still hasnt laid an egg.

That's what Silkies Do---LOL. If she is with other chickens---collect eggs every day or twice a day if you can because if a Silkies see a egg-----they want to set on it. If you do not want her to set----break her the time she gets started. Good Luck

 

[BullChick]

BTW, good morning!

 

[Chicken2015nz]

Thanks, just thought it was a bit strange that it is happening to her before puberty. Next spring I'll give her some fertile eggs to hatch - that should keep her happy for awhile.

 

[BullChick]

Thanks, just thought it was a bit strange that it is happening to her before puberty. Next spring I'll give her some fertile eggs to hatch - that should keep her happy for awhile.

Yup! Like four weeks! Then back on the nest she will go! LOL

 

[ShanandGem]

My broody is such a good mom! The four bigger chicks in the coop stress her out a bit(coop is big, 10 x 10 but they always seem to be in her face) but she's too gentle to give them the pecking they deserve so I am shipping them out the door into a brooder box on the grass first thing in the morning and they don't get to go in until right before lights out.
The babies are eating and drinking and both seem pretty healthy. One is definitely bigger than the other. I cut up some clover for her last night and she was pecking it into tiny pieces and giving it to them. Maybe it's just because I'm a woman and I know how it feels to be broody, but it has been such a joy watching her with her chicks; a totally different experience than hatching babies in a bator.

 

[16 paws]

Hey 16 Paws,
She so loves the car! My oldest held her on the way to Choir Summer Camp, and she again was a big hit with the choir girls. Some asked, where did you find the baby bird? I had to tell them she was a chicken, and I helped with her hatch on Sunday. Some girls were a bit confused, because Stormy is gray, they had never see a gray chicken. I showed them the picture of the 3 chicks together, told them, the chicks all had the same Daddy, but different Mommies (I know, Birds and the Bees) LOL They could not get over how fluffy she was.
I also got to explain about splayed legs, and why she had a band-aid on her legs. One of our choir girls wears a brace on her leg, so I compared the two, so the girls would better understand.

Stormy likes the movement of the car, she does the quiet peep as we drive. It is funny how the drive also makes her sleepy. As we were heading to the choir building, my oldest daughter is telling me how Stormy's head is slowly drooping down, and then she will wake up a bit, and her head would come back up (like nodding off). On our way home, my youngest tells me that one of Stormy's leg braces came off. When we got home, I removed the other one, and so far her legs look nice and straight. She was doing a lot of tall standing at the choir building today. She has now moved up to dry chick start, so no more mush for our baby. She also got more play time with her siblings, put Mama in the coop by herself.

As I was taking her (Mama) to the coop, our 2 year old rooster, No Name started to follow, he saw Lollie in my arms. I had to shoosh him away, and he stayed around the coop, till I came back to get her. As soon as I opened the door, Lollie flew out, and No Name was right behind her. She was running and flapping and screaming, circled back towards the coop, and ran in. Before I could close the door, No Name got in too. Lollie got up on the roost ledge, and so did No Name. He was very happy to see her, if you get my drift. When they were done, I asked No Name if he was happy to see Lollie, and patted his back, and scratched his chest, then picked Lollie up and took her back to her babies.
Still not quite ready to put Stormy in with Mama & the sibs yet. May just continue the sibling play dates for a while, or until Stormy gets a little bigger.
We had quite a day's adventure today. I may let Stormy stay home tomorrow, my youngest has to get a back x-ray, and I don't think they would appreciate a baby chick in orthopedics. I may send Mama to the coop, and let the 3 siblings play. The two older ones will lay down, while Stormy is trying to snuggle against them or is cheeping for one of the to get up. LOL

Glad to hear she is doing well.