Broody Hen Thread!

[rebrascora]

@MasterOfClucker
I can't say that I've particularly noticed any of my broodies screeching at other hens when they are on the nest laying and with so many hens that free range I don't monitor how long they stay on the nest. Tucking eggs/golf balls underneath them can be an indication of broodiness but certainly no guarantee of it.

To be honest unless you have a warm climate, it's probably not a good time of year for a broody to start setting. The problem is that when she takes her broody break each day, the eggs will chill unless she is pretty quick about it. Also, if your rooster is over a year old, his fertility may drop at this time of year particularly if he is moulting, so that may also make for a low hatch rate. Thirdly, brooding takes a lot out of hens, condition wise, and ideally you want them to be going into winter in good condition, not poor condition, particularly if you have a cold climate.

Just some things to consider depending on your situation.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Selsley]

My black leghorn went broody 20 days ago and last Thursday she hoped of the nest for about 2 hours but has sat on the nest every day since. On Saturday I candled the eggs and there was definitely a chicken inside. Would the chicks died in the egg since the mother was off that long?

our hen was off the nest for a few hrs early on, and successfully hatched all eggs,we found her sitting in her original nest that was empty so we just lifted her onto the eggs,
i guess if you can candle them you can recheck in a week for any development,
then again if theyre due to hatch in a week or so, you will know

 

[chickwalla]

Hey all! I just found this thread and was reading along a bit, and it raised a question in me. I read somewhere in this thread, that a broody hen will wait for eggs to hatch about 16hours from the time the first one hatches. Well, I gave my broody hen 3 more eggs to sit on, about 24 hours after she was sitting on the first four. Is this going to be a problem?

 

[rebrascora]

I'm pretty sure you will be fine. My broodies usually stay on the nest a couple of days if there are more eggs that haven't hatched. After that I check the eggs and remove them if there is no sign of life. The newly hatched chicks can live for 72hrs or thereabouts without food (whilst they absorb the yolk), so theoretically she can wait 3 days for any stragglers to hatch. She will also feel movement and hear chicks chirping from inside the shell, so that will encourage her to stick with them.

Good luck with your hatch.

Barbara

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Hey guys. I got a broody from this lady who is now seeing on eggs. I finally candled them yesterday and most were bad except 3. 2 are maybe a week in and one looks to be quite a bit farther. The weather here is really cold and I'm thinking about putting them in my incubator. My question is I'm brooding some chicks that are about 2 weeks old now and I'm wondering would my hen take them if they are older or only if they are day olds? This is my first broody so sorry if I sound silly lol. Thanks.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hey guys. I got a broody from this lady who is now seeing on eggs. I finally candled them yesterday and most were bad except 3. 2 are maybe a week in and one looks to be quite a bit farther. The weather here is really cold and I'm thinking about putting them in my incubator. My question is I'm brooding some chicks that are about 2 weeks old now and I'm wondering would my hen take them if they are older or only if they are day olds? This is my first broody so sorry if I sound silly lol. Thanks.

Its always a guess what a broody will do, but you can try to give them to her. Did she ever brood for the lady you got them from? Maybe ask her how good a momma the hen was. Or just remove the eggs, and replace with the chicks, but do it in the dark.

 

[chickwalla]

Thanks for the response rebrascora! This is my first broody, hatching day is Election Day. I'm a little worried because it's been between 40-50 degrees here, but she's been dedicated to sitting on those eggs. She just gets off about 15-20 minutes a day.

After the chicks hatch, I was thinking of moving them over to the juvenile side of the coop. It's much more covered, and it has a heat lamp. The only concern is that that will put them with 25 one month old pullets. Do you think this will be ok? Id move her and the eggs now, but the juvenile side is shut to keep in the heat, so she wouldn't be able to go outside.

 

[rebrascora]

@jenniferlamar70

How are you brooding the chicks? ie. heat lamp or heating pad/cave? If the chicks are used to a heat lamp they will not understand going under the broody hen where it is dark to get warm and may well be terrified of her. Two weeks is a lot of time and they will be used to the brooder system. You may well be pushing your luck, especially if you use a heat lamp. I would leave her to hatch chicks from the eggs she is on.

 

[rebrascora]

@chickwalla

Hi

Personally I would leave them in the main part of the coop. The broody and chicks do not need a heat lamp and if you move them you have the problem of reintegrating the broody back into the flock after she casts them off. I let my broodies raise their chicks within a large, free range, mixed flock with no problems. They even share the yard and paddock with my horses and amazingly never get stood on!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Its always a guess what a broody will do, but you can try to give them to her. Did she ever brood for the lady you got them from?  Maybe ask her how good a momma the hen was.  Or just remove the eggs, and replace with the chicks, but do it in the dark.   

Thanks. Maybe I'll just try one chick and see what she thinks. If she acts like it's not ok I'll put it back in the brooder lol none the wiser lol.

@jenniferlamar70


How are you brooding the chicks? ie. heat lamp or heating pad/cave? If the chicks are used to a heat lamp they will not understand going under the broody hen where it is dark to get warm and may well be terrified of her. Two weeks is a lot of time and they will be used to the brooder system. You may well be pushing your luck, especially if you use a heat lamp. I would leave her to hatch chicks from the eggs she is on.  

We are using a light and not a heating pad so that could be an issue. I really needed a reliable broody and good mama before spring. The lady I got her from gave me her and the eggs she was sitting on. She wasn't marking them which is why they are at different stages. Im mostly worried about one hatching and her abandoning the others. The ones in the house are quite a bit older so I know it was a long shot. It would just be so much easier for those precious babies to have a mama.