Broody Hen Thread!

[ATessarzik]

My 1 broody hen is 7 days away from a hatch, and just a few days before, another hen "caught the fever". Today one wet out to do her business, and came back while the other was out and they switched nest! Ha, these chickens are something else! I switched them back around and separated their nests, to avoid any further confusion! Imagine the nerve of the hen, stealing a nest that is so close to a hatch! Absurd! I said to her " this is not happening" Life with chickens is pretty comical! I love it! Happy hatching

 

[WVduckchick]

My 1 broody hen is 7 days away from a hatch, and just a few days before, another hen "caught the fever". Today one wet out to do her business, and came back while the other was out and they switched nest! Ha, these chickens are something else! I switched them back around and separated their nests, to avoid any further confusion!  Imagine the nerve of the hen, stealing a nest that is so close to a hatch! Absurd! I said to her " this is not happening" Life with chickens is pretty comical! I love it! Happy hatching

I had a second go broody (actually my 8th, but 2nd in that pen lol) a week before the first set was due. They were the only 2 mature hens in there, so I let them share, but the second started trying to always be on the eggs. Maybe the first allowed it, but I thought it was wrong. So the day they started hatching, I moved the original momma with 3 babies and 1 pipped egg, which hatched a few hours later, and I gave the second one 4 eggs of her own (I already had them in the incubator, on about the same day as when she joined her sister). So we are on day 12 now.

 

[Calix]

I have a bantam hen who's sitting on a few eggs; she's been sitting for 8-9 days now. I have a few other hens in that coop (though that might have to change soon in light of recent events) and they have been laying all of their eggs in the nest box the broody is in. I've been picking the 'extras' out, which is easy since she's sitting on bantam eggs, and I have no other bantam hens and all the extras are regular-sized.

So my problem is this: yesterday I was unable to go out to the coop during the day. I had someone check on everything, but they won't get eggs from under the broody because she bites (lol). I forgot about this, and didn't go out when I got home late last night... and when I went out a bit ago, there were SIX extras under her. Some of those eggs have been under her for like a day and a half now. What should I do? I know there's some development in the ones from yesterday, and I'm not sure if I should take them out since it would kill any embryos, and that feels wrong, but obviously I can't let her have eggs that far apart in development.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

After only one or two days you will not notice any development. Still good to eat. Take them out and let her concentrate on the others. Good luck.

 

[Island Juli]

Suggestions needed, please! I live in Hawaii and we have a tropical storm due to hit here this weekend. I have 3 broody hens set to hatch this weekend.

We have no predators (no racoons, snakes, weasels, hawks, etc.) so we have completely open coops so no way to lock them and the chicks in.

I have an extra large dog training crate I use for 'bator hatches set up on our lanai. Any chance two could/would share the space?

All 3 are silkie mixes if that helps any. They each only have 2 eggs. (I have 5 more in the 'bator in case of any issues). All 3 are first-timers.

Also have my first Australorp broody! I haven't given her any eggs yet, waiting to make sure she's committed.

 

[the poppster]

Suggestions needed, please! I live in Hawaii and we have a tropical storm due to hit here this weekend. I have 3 broody hens set to hatch this weekend.

We have no predators (no racoons, snakes, weasels, hawks, etc.) so we have completely open coops so no way to lock them and the chicks in.

I have an extra large dog training crate I use for 'bator hatches set up on our lanai. Any chance two could/would share the space?

All 3 are silkie mixes if that helps any. They each only have 2 eggs. (I have 5 more in the 'bator in case of any issues). All 3 are first-timers.

Also have my first Australorp broody! I haven't given her any eggs yet, waiting to make sure she's committed.

Do you have a porch or protected area....a garage? You could use three good sized cardboard boxes...one for each hen and her eggs....some bedding material...actually newspaper on the bottom of the boxes and a good sized towel for a nest (it can be rinsed out and washed later) even some old t-shirts or anything like that, rags? If they are only going to be in their storm nests till the storm is over....cardboard boxes will work just fine....they aren't going to be in them very long. Ok, boxes, newspapers, food and water... in a garage or porch....out of the rain...moms won't be moving around much for the first day or so...once the chicks hatch, you can spread out the towel/rags for them to walk on...slippery surfaces can cause leg problems for a newly hatched chick....and eliminating any wood chips or other bedding material will be sure that the chicks don't eat it instead of the food....and when it comes time to return them to the coop...you won't have loose bedding to deal with....mom will just hunker down and the chicks will crawl into her feathers to stay warm...it's an idea...I've done it before, when I needed a temporary solution.

 

[16 paws]

Do you have a porch or protected area....a garage? You could use three good sized cardboard boxes...one for each hen and her eggs....some bedding material...actually newspaper on the bottom of the boxes and a good sized towel for a nest (it can be rinsed out and washed later) even some old t-shirts or anything like that, rags? If they are only going to be in their storm nests till the storm is over....cardboard boxes will work just fine....they aren't going to be in them very long. Ok, boxes, newspapers, food and water... in a garage or porch....out of the rain...moms won't be moving around much for the first day or so...once the chicks hatch, you can spread out the towel/rags for them to walk on...slippery surfaces can cause leg problems for a newly hatched chick....and eliminating any wood chips or other bedding material will be sure that the chicks don't eat it instead of the food....and when it comes time to return them to the coop...you won't have loose bedding to deal with....mom will just hunker down and the chicks will crawl into her feathers to stay warm...it's an idea...I've done it before, when I needed a temporary solution.

Good idea. This is also what I would do. Give them their own space. I have lost some chicks due to fighting over whose chicks were whose when I let them hatch together. The boxes are a great idea.

 

[LoveOfChickens1]

The final candling was last night. Joan Jett has 6 viable eggs under her so we're hoping for the best. They should start hatching Sunday. I won't touch her at all now until the babies arrive. This is our 1st time letting a broody hatch eggs so it's been a learning process. I'll post the 2 best candling videos. I hope you enjoy them.

 

[Morrigan]

I'm happy to report that my two broodies who rejected their chicks are no longer broody. No eggs in the coop, plus constantly pushing them off the nest finally took hold. I haven't seen eggs from them yet but they have been off the nest for a few days now. I'm very relieved that I didn't have to put them in a broody-buster box, or give them more eggs to sit on.

 

[16 paws]

The final candling was last night. Joan Jett has 6 viable eggs under her so we're hoping for the best. They should start hatching Sunday. I won't touch her at all now until the babies arrive. This is our 1st time letting a broody hatch eggs so it's been a learning process. I'll post the 2 best candling videos. I hope you enjoy them.

Awesome!