Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

Got my first little one!! So excited! She's got 5 more eggs under her... Waiting so impatiently lol

FYI: mom is a silkie, and she's sitting on a clutch of BR hen x with silkies roo (none of the eggs are actually hers) lol these should be interesting! Anyone have a similar cross?

Yes I've had some Silkie mutts...some of the sweetest birds I've raised.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Hi I have a question about broody hens. I have just one hen and one cockerel and the hen just started laying eggs. We have had three eggs so far and I would like to hatch them into chicks but will she sit on them? I mean if a hen is laying fertilised eggs will she automatically become 'broody' or not? If not is there any way to encourage her to sit on the eggs? So far after three eggs she is still wandering out of the coop all day, not yet sitting.

First off how old is your hen & roo?
What type of hen is she? Some hens don't go broody.
I had Buff Orph that were a year old when they went broody, 2 of my 6 went broody a week apart.
I have 5 Easter Eggers, who are 3 years old, and have never been bit by the broody bug.
My little Banty hen is 5 years old, has been broody 4 years in a row, last year a snake ate her eggs.
My other hen who hatched eggs for the first time 2 weeks ago, this is her second year of being broody. Her first year, she ate her eggs, but she was only a year old. She is half silky (Daddy), and New Hampshire or Buckeye (Mom). She is from the second year hatch of my Banty.
You will know when she is broody, she will puff up, lay flat on those eggs and growl at you.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Mama Ramin, after 2 months and a week and a half, decided it was time to go back to the flock.
Found her in the main coop tonight, sitting on the rail, just above my youngest rooster (who she hatched 2 years ago.)
So far the 3 young ones are fine by themselves. But it looks like I have 2 more roosters.
Seems like every year, I get 2 roosters out of each hatch. I do not need 6 roosters, thank you very much.
Have tried to give my evil one away, but I have had not takers. Looks like hubby & I are going to have to build a bachelor pad.

And Ramin started back to laying eggs about 3 weeks ago, if she lays in the morning, the next one is the next evening. So we either find them in the holding cage with her chicks, or in the evening in the separate coop. For being 5 years old, she still lays like clockwork!

 

[microchick]

Brooding is so much fun until you realize that you have to make room for the newcomers if you don't have the room to start with. I'd be fine with my current set up if the 4+month olds from my first broody hatch weren't 90% cockerels. I love my boys but 90%? Geesh!

Suddenly you have this moment of perfect clarity as you watch the cockerels battling it out with one of the mature roosters and your hens running for their lives, where you say out loud....'OMG I need another coop!'

Chicken math can be an unforgiving witch at times.

 

[ShanandGem]

Brooding is so much fun until you realize that you have to make room for the newcomers if you don't have the room to start with. I'd be fine with my current set up if the 4+month olds from my first broody hatch weren't 90% cockerels. I love my boys but 90%? Geesh!

Suddenly you have this moment of perfect clarity as you watch the cockerels battling it out with one of the mature roosters and your hens running for their lives, where you say out loud....'OMG I need another coop!'

Chicken math can be an unforgiving witch at times.

Tell me about it. Thank goodness we embrace 'function over form' around here and can throw up a coop and run out of pallets or whatever else we can get cheap or free.

 

[Morrigan]

We had to build on an extension to our coop as a grow-out area for our youngsters. They are only 8 1/2 weeks old, but getting big so fast. One cockerel has started crowing and there is a lot of posturing going on. When they hit 12 weeks, the biggest and most unruly of the boys are going to freezer camp. A sad day, but I don't have the room from dozens of mini coops.

 

[randiferina]

UPDATE!!!!

I went out yesterday after work to pick up a few things for a makeshift incubator hoping I could get the remaining eggs to hatch.... AND I COME HOME TO TWO NEW BABIES IN THE COOP WITH HER!!! (One is under her in the pic)

never underestimate the brooding abilities of a Silkie mom!!! She's amazing. I'm sorry I ever doubted her lol

 

[Morrigan]

UPDATE!!!!

I went out yesterday after work to pick up a few things for a makeshift incubator hoping I could get the remaining eggs to hatch.... AND I COME HOME TO TWO NEW BABIES IN THE COOP WITH HER!!! (One is under her in the pic)

never underestimate the brooding abilities of a Silkie mom!!! She's amazing. I'm sorry I ever doubted her lol

That's wonderful! It's nice to hear a happy ending.

 

[Elliot Moose]

I found this little guy last night on day 21. One single chick. It was more than I had expected considering all the newbie mistakes I made. Sadly I found it dead late this morning in the crook of momma's leg. I have already posted questions about this elsewhere on the site. I'm new to the site and a new broody hen owner. Momma was a Brahma. Sorry for being a downer to all successful chick hatchers. I'm just having a pity party for myself.

 

[microchick]

Tell me about it. Thank goodness we embrace 'function over form' around here and can throw up a coop and run out of pallets or whatever else we can get cheap or free.

I've been very lucky in that I've been able to convert an old shed into a new coop and add a rooster coop without having to buy anything thanks to friends who, when they heard that we were expanding our coop started saying " I have this stack of corrugated siding. Can you use it on your old shed?" and most recently "I have this big roll of chain link fencing if you can use it,

It's always sweet when your friends are enablers for your addiction!