Broody Hen Thread!

[Selsley]

It is so hot here 98-103 and zero humidity. The past 2 days. My hen still has 10 eggs left to hatch. They are on day 22 now. She kind of sits on them during the day, it's more of a Hovering over them but at night she covers them completely. 6 chicks hatched between Thursday night and Saturday night before the temps rose and humidity dropped. Should I take the eggs from her and put them in the incubator to finish the hatch or just leave them for now? This is her first hatch and mine. Will she know if they aren't going to hatch? Or will she just sit on them until I take them away?

Quote:
i agree,,, one of the kids slipped an egg in late and it hatched 4 days after the rest, by then the other 6 were very active and mum was already taking the chicks into the coop area. digging up the floor, the late hatcher died from being trampled. and was also left to get cold. the mum only stayed on the nest for the 1st 2 days after the initial hatch, as the chicks needed to stay under her for warmth, on the 2nd day they were already in and out the nest wandering then going back under mum. hatching 4 days late was just too long to expect mum to stay on the nest when she had 6 others that needed teaching.

 

[windyhawk]

Thanks for your input Neat to see you're in SC too!

Yes. I wouldn't have let my hen set a nest so late if further north. 20 days! I am hopeful to see some chickies soon. Good luck to you.

 

[hungry hunter]

I had a quick question and wasn't sure if it had already asked here (but of course, there are 1355 pages in this thread...)

Is it normal for a 7 month old hen to go broody?

We got our Buff Orpington chicks around the first of March from TSC and the hen just hatched her own chicks this week.

We have an Austrolorp hen that is at least 3 yrs old (not sure because she came with our house when we moved in) and she goes broody about once or twice a year. I assumed that the BO would go broody when older, but was kind of surprised that it happened this soon.

 

[microchick]

I'd say yes. It is feasible.

I had a Buff O pullet go broody at 10 months.

 

[Honora]

I had a quick question and wasn't sure if it had already asked here (but of course, there are 1355 pages in this thread...)

Is it normal for a 7 month old hen to go broody?

We got our Buff Orpington chicks around the first of March from TSC and the hen just hatched her own chicks this week.

We have an Austrolorp hen that is at least 3 yrs old (not sure because she came with our house when we moved in) and she goes broody about once or twice a year. I assumed that the BO would go broody when older, but was kind of surprised that it happened this soon.

I had 2 bantam Orpingtons go broody at that age also.

 

[fisherlady]

I had a quick question and wasn't sure if it had already asked here (but of course, there are 1355 pages in this thread...)

Is it normal for a 7 month old hen to go broody?

We got our Buff Orpington chicks around the first of March from TSC and the hen just hatched her own chicks this week.

We have an Austrolorp hen that is at least 3 yrs old (not sure because she came with our house when we moved in) and she goes broody about once or twice a year. I assumed that the BO would go broody when older, but was kind of surprised that it happened this soon.

We have had many hens go broody at a young age, some become regular brooders, some have never brooded again. Mostly barn yard mixes or plymouth rock varieties, a few were feather legged mutts (possibly some cochin background) In general the very young ones have gone broody 3 to 4 weeks after laying their first eggs, so don't know if the hormones fluctuating a lot at the onset of their laying has an impact on their brooding hormones or if it is just coincidence.
I currently have a 6 month old setting (americauna/barred rock mix) and she has been very determined and reliable, she is in the coop and in her own chosen 2nd level nest box and hasn't mixed up boxes yet, so hoping she continues to do so well.
Congrats on her successful hatch!

 

[fisherlady]

The current broody dragon, Puff... americauna/barred rock mix

 

[MayhemMarr]

I had a quick question and wasn't sure if it had already asked here (but of course, there are 1355 pages in this thread...)

Is it normal for a 7 month old hen to go broody?

We got our Buff Orpington chicks around the first of March from TSC and the hen just hatched her own chicks this week.

We have an Austrolorp hen that is at least 3 yrs old (not sure because she came with our house when we moved in) and she goes broody about once or twice a year. I assumed that the BO would go broody when older, but was kind of surprised that it happened this soon.

I don't wee why not I have a broody sex link that we got from tsc as a day old chick this spring

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Fisherlady
Oh my she is so pretty I really hope I get one of those in our next clutch!!!

 

[fisherlady]

Fisherlady

Oh my she is so pretty I really hope I get one of those in our next clutch!!!

Thanks, She was a beautiful surprise. And she is a wicked broody, I can honestly say out of the last 100 or so clutches she ranks at or above my previously most vicious hen. That is good for the chicks but crazy hard on my arms when I check her for foreign eggs! LOL