Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

This is her first time being a broody hen but she is excellent at it! i can hear chirping so we must have one trying to come out of its shell!! im so excited but worried. Why would one die after coming out? thank you all for the advice! Its hard trying not to check! I have one of those lovable idiots! lol i worry if she ever becomes broody!

I know this doesn't sound like much help but sometimes they simply die without you ever knowing why. I had that happen with my last broody. One little chick pipped, zipped, and died. I found it half in half out of it's egg. I suspect momma waffle stomped it moving about with the already hatched chicks. I felt bad. I had the incubator going. I should have recognized the warning signs. This time I won't let it progress. IF momma is getting restless with already hatched chicks, the remaining eggs are coming out and into the incubator.

 

[Selsley]

I know this doesn't sound like much help but sometimes they simply die without you ever knowing why. I had that happen with my last broody. One little chick pipped, zipped, and died. I found it half in half out of it's egg. I suspect momma waffle stomped it moving about with the already hatched chicks. I felt bad. I had the incubator going. I should have recognized the warning signs. This time I won't let it progress. IF momma is getting restless with already hatched chicks, the remaining eggs are coming out and into the incubator.

same here

 

[broodmother]

wow that is good to know, i didn't know that could happen.

 

[microchick]

There is a great thread on BYC called Complete Guide-Dealing With All Things Broody. I highly recommend reading it.

I went out to give the birds fresh water. It's been close to 90 here today and when I entered the coop I could plainly see that Lil'girl had rolled 3 eggs out of the nest when she got out for her afternoon stroll. Poor baby was sitting there looking at them like she was thinking "well now how did those get out there?" They were still good and warm I took the opportunity to scrape some more of the concrete hard broody poop off of one of them with a razor blade. Poor baby must have thought the world was coming to an end because this stuff was hard. By some miracle at this point in time All of the eggs look viable.

I built the nest walls up a bit hoping the eggs won't roll out again. Poor baby, this is all just so new to her.

In the mean time I have two hens that are running around doing the broody cluck all the while I'm thinking NOT NOW!

 

[luvmypets]

Just had four beautiful chicks hatched by my veteran broody Cirra

 

[Honora]

Just had four beautiful chicks hatched by my veteran broody Cirra

They are beautiful! What breed are they? I have 5 eggs due to hatch with broodies on Monday and 4 in the incubator. Mine will be EE's and chocolate orp mixes.

 

[microchick]

Ok all you seasoned folks who have been dealing with all types of weird broody behavior, I have a question for you.

My hen keeps knocking eggs out of her nest when she gets up to do her daily business I have been finding her with two or more eggs 3 inches away from her and twice I've had to urge her to cover her eggs as she will have 3 or four visible at her breast. She is a dedicated little girl and is now talking to her eggs. We could see hatching start as early as the first of the week as these are part OEGB.

How do I deal with this absent minded little broody who keeps misplacing her eggs? I have been candling her eggs when I find them 'misplaced' and everything looks good. Luckily the weather has been very hot here with the heat index in the mid 90s which has helped.

 

[16 paws]

Ok all you seasoned folks who have been dealing with all types of weird broody behavior, I have a question for you.

My hen keeps knocking eggs out of her nest when she gets up to do her daily business I have been finding her with two or more eggs 3 inches away from her and twice I've had to urge her to cover her eggs as she will have 3 or four visible at her breast. She is a dedicated little girl and is now talking to her eggs. We could see hatching start as early as the first of the week as these are part OEGB.

How do I deal with this absent minded little broody who keeps misplacing her eggs? I have been candling her eggs when I find them 'misplaced' and everything looks good. Luckily the weather has been very hot here with the heat index in the mid 90s which has helped.

Hi Microchick,
I wouldnt worry about it at all. When it is warm my broodys will do the same thing. They know best so I let them do their thing. Good luck on your hatch!
Marie

 

[microchick]

Hey thanks, Marie aka 16paws.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We have friends who are wanting young OEGBs. These folks have been very nice to us, having given us all the siding for our new coop and enough chain link fencing to make our rooster pen. The closest thing I could find nearby was from one of our Amish neighbors whose flock looks very OEGB-ish. Hey, I don't look gift eggs in the mouth! LOL. So IF some of these eggs don't hatch and IF they aren't OEGBs well, my chicken math is going to have to be recalculated. I've already warned DH whose response was that he had already figured that out.

I swear this little broody has kept me on my toes. In the mean time Aggie and another BO hen have been roaming around doing the broody hen cluck so I don't know what they are up to but whatever it is, I hope they hold off doing it until Lil'Girl does her thing and vacates the broody nest/

How are things going with you and your flock?

 

[gator75]

I have a broody 7 mo old. Been 14 days. I push her out of the nesting box for a snack and water during lunch and again for a little free ranging before dark. Other than that I'm letting nature take its course. How long will typically will she be broody with very little intervention? Kind of getting over it, so hopefully soon.

Note, I have no rooster or fertilized eggs. I remove all eggs from other two hens daily.