Broody Hen Thread!

[nchls school]

I haven't read through the *whole* thread, but I've been with many of you for much of it.

Last week, I noticed weird behavior with my Australorp. Mentioned it to a coworker and she suggested that she was probably trying to go broody. I'm all "Yay! Really???!" Started researching, etc. Then a friend of ours let me know he would be ready to take our head roo (since we had two roosters) and a couple of ladies. We did that move on Sunday. This week has been calmer in the chicken yard, but the second roo is still not "there" with taking up position as head roo. I think he's still wary of being jumped.

Anyway, Betty, the BA, is kinda acting the same, but less so. I may have inadvertently "broken" her with removing the roo and a couple of hens, changing the dynamics. I would LOVE for her to really put her mind to it. I have a pen ready to put into the coop if she starts showing seriousness. I've also put a pile of fake eggs in the nest box that's easiest to get to. Last week when I came home early and caught her in the nest box, I took the eggs she was on and gave her a fake. She tucked it under her. With me working, I can't see what she's doing during the day.

At this rate, I know that she may not go broody. I just hope she will.

As far as I know, all of my birds are hatchery stock. I know I have fertilized eggs from the previous roo still. I'm trying not to invade much.

Have you guys had hatchery BA go broody and hatch successfully? I wish I could just ask her to go broody and she comply! Ugh! I want babies so badly LOL

Are there behaviors any of you have noticed the hens make before actually squatting on the nest? With Betty, what tipped me off to a change is that she was fluffing up in the yard, especially when other birds approached her. She was also constantly clucking, softly. As of now, she's still fluffing up when she's approached, but not nearly as dramatically. I guess if she wants to, she will, eh?

Wanting a broody feels maddening for the human, I suspect. Thanks for letting me "vent" lol

Leaving dummy eggs in the nest the hen has selected might help encourage broodiness. Mine act the same way just before going broody; especially the clucking sounds. Good luck.

 

[lpyrbby]

Leaving dummy eggs in the nest the hen has selected might help encourage broodiness.  Mine act the same way just before going broody; especially the clucking sounds. Good luck.

Thank you It's a game of wait and see right now. Probably a whole lot of waiting

 

[microchick]

Are there behaviors any of you have noticed the hens make before actually squatting on the nest? With Betty, what tipped me off to a change is that she was fluffing up in the yard, especially when other birds approached her. She was also constantly clucking, softly. As of now, she's still fluffing up when she's approached, but not nearly as dramatically. I guess if she wants to, she will, eh?

Hi lpyrbby,

I have had 2 buff orpington hens go broody over the summer months. Hen #1 went broody gradually. She walked around fluffed up for days and clucked softly to herself before claiming a nest full of eggs for herself. The second time she went broody it was like switching on a light. BOOM, she was broody. The second hen did the same thing. No warning whatsoever. Hen #1 also has a weird habit of gobbling down oyster shell before she goes broody so I do get a bit of a warning that way also.

My original flock was hatched by a breeder/incubator. I'm thinking it is the breed of birds over how they were hatched regarding their broodiness.

Hope you get your wish. You could always add a couple of Silkies or a couple of Old English Game Bantams or Cochins to your flock if push comnes to shove and you would always have a willing hen to hatch eggs for you.

 

[MayhemMarr]

mine is a sex link so I never expected her to go broody ever and boom I went out one day and there she was like "oh hey how ya doing don't mind me but don't bother me either I has my egg"

 

[slordaz]

Are there behaviors any of you have noticed the hens make before actually squatting on the nest? With Betty, what tipped me off to a change is that she was fluffing up in the yard, especially when other birds approached her. She was also constantly clucking, softly. As of now, she's still fluffing up when she's approached, but not nearly as dramatically. I guess if she wants to, she will, eh?

Hi lpyrbby,

I have had 2 buff orpington hens go broody over the summer months. Hen #1 went broody gradually. She walked around fluffed up for days and clucked softly to herself before claiming a nest full of eggs for herself. The second time she went broody it was like switching on a light. BOOM, she was broody. The second hen did the same thing. No warning whatsoever. Hen #1 also has a weird habit of gobbling down oyster shell before she goes broody so I do get a bit of a warning that way also.

My original flock was hatched by a breeder/incubator. I'm thinking it is the breed of birds over how they were hatched regarding their broodiness.

Hope you get your wish. You could always add a couple of Silkies or a couple of Old English Game Bantams or Cochins to your flock if push comnes to shove and you would always have a willing hen to hatch eggs for you.

didn't seem to matter what breed once I had a barred rock go broody and hatch out everyone wanted to brood at the same time, leghorn became persistent broody due to failure to brood and hatch, she's determined to have chicks to take care of but doesn't have the patience yet for sitting on the nest that long. She must have poor attention span as she expects to only have to sit on nest a day or 2 then breaks her eggs trying to get the babies out.

Next spring we are gonna have it fixed up so we can have that many brood at once I guess

Mine was staying in the hen house where they lay instead of free ranging with the flock for a couple of days before she climbed in the nest, the others all contributed to her egg count which was fine with her, she hatched out 10 /20 with only 2 actually being hers

Our hens are all over the place
Amerecuana
Barred Rock
Buff Orpington
black sexlink
brown and white leghorns
barn yard mix
silver wyondette

This late in the year not letting em brood up here in the north, but a couple of the mixes think they should be brooding, had one lay her first egg about the size of a gumball and fiercely protecting it

 

[WVduckchick]

mine is a sex link so I never expected her to go broody ever and boom I went out one day and there she was like "oh hey how ya doing don't mind me but don't bother me either I has my egg"

I had a golden comet go broody earlier this year! They are supposedly one of the least broody of all. She was a meanie though, so by the time I caught her off the nest to remove some eggs, she had 46 eggs under her!! (I had 8 girls at the time, all contributing to the nest daily!) So I took most of the eggs and left some that looked furthest along. She hatched 5.

Had a different comet attempt to sit on eggs a few weeks later, but I took hers.

My lavender orpingtons, on the other hand, are supposedly very broody, but I only had one sit this year.

So I guess its always a toss-up!

 

[slordaz]

I had a golden comet go broody earlier this year! They are supposedly one of the least broody of all. She was a meanie though, so by the time I caught her off the nest to remove some eggs, she had 46 eggs under her!! (I had 8 girls at the time, all contributing to the nest daily!) So I took most of the eggs and left some that looked furthest along. She hatched 5.

Had a different comet attempt to sit on eggs a few weeks later, but I took hers.

My lavender orpingtons, on the other hand, are supposedly very broody, but I only had one sit this year.

So I guess its always a toss-up!

I think each hen is gonna make her decision, they didn't read the chicken books and my flock free ranging showed me they gonna do it if they want to and they don't gotta follow the what to expect from books lol

 

[MayhemMarr]

I have 20 pullets or 19 pullets (amber and black sex link) and a white leg horn or mystery age (she came from the pound) and a Jersey Giant mix Cockerel I never expected to have a broody and certainly not this year, she was originally sitting on her own egg and a fake then I gave her 3 more and she is happy as a lark. I want a couple Dorkings, Orpingtons, and silkies lol then I think I will be set.... maybe

 

[MayhemMarr]

I think each hen is gonna make her decision, they didn't read the chicken books and my flock free ranging showed me they gonna do it if they want to and they don't gotta follow the what to expect from books lol

I agree animals will do what they do regardless of what people or books say lol

 

[gmow2087]

I have my first broody hen, she never leaves the coop I'm worried about her health...suggestions? There is no rooster either so she is sitting on nothing.