Broody Hen Thread!

[Honora]

I don't know how many she can cover exactly, 10 will be pushing it after a couple of weeks probably, but with decent weather and a bit of support she should do OK. I would set up a secondary heat source close to her for the over flow chicks to use such as a heating pad or small brood light.

Thanks! I wouldn't mind having a few babies inside for a bit so maybe that's what I'll do. We'll see what the weather is like in 3 weeks when they arrive.

 

[nchls school]

One of my bantam Orps is broody for the third time. This time I decided to order chicks for her instead of giving her fertile eggs to sit on. I'm pretty sure she will accept them with no problem, since she has done it once before.

I ordered 8 chicks but the breeder sometimes sends extras so I may end up with a few more. My question is, how many large fowl chicks should I give her? I have had a bantam Orp with 7 large fowl chicks before, but would she be able to cover 10 or so? I'm in California so it's pretty warm, but it usually gets down into the 40's at night.

X 2 on what fisherlady wrote. I have tiny serama raising large breed chicks now. The hens could only brood 2-3 eggs each and the chicks have grown fast. A heat lamp provides supplemental heat and all are doing well.

The hen in my avatar is one of the serama raising EE chicks.

 

[Selsley]

Thanks! I wouldn't mind having a few babies inside for a bit so maybe that's what I'll do. We'll see what the weather is like in 3 weeks when they arrive.

our bantam frizzle hatched 4 of 6 eggs in a hard frost, of the last 2 eggs, one died hatching and 1 in the shell when she left the eggs to keep the 4 chicks warm as they fed, this was about 36hrs after the 1st hatch.

any chicks you take inside will get left behind. you cannot rear chicks as well as a hen. our chicks were going outside at 5 days old, 2 days younger than our summer hatch and they went out into a still hard frost. they spent a few hrs out there the 1st day, and all day ever since.

just a thought, but will a mother accept or look after chicks that havent been part of her hatch (unless tricked into it as really young hatchlings). most young chickens advertised here in france as being able to go outside on their own and not requiring heat are usually several weeks old.

i have seen our 4 chicks sitting in a tight group when mums been off doing her own thing on occasion, wouldnt too many chicks as they get a bit older move within their group if they were cold at night, and wouldnt they help keep themselves warm?

i have never hand reared chicks so cant advise on the work thats really involved

we still seeing ice cold days but all chicks at a month old are doing well outside mostly doing their own thing although within safe distance of mum. they are large fowl,

 

[tinakevin]

Well I have 3 broody hens. I gave my 2 bantams an we ad a silkie 2 eggs each and my large fowl Cochin 6 eggs today. I know it's still cold here in New Hampshire but we'll see what happens

 

[microchick]

I have 11 eggs in my incubator and 22 hens that are ignoring any and all efforts to beg, bribe or threaten them in an attempt to make them just die to go broody. Last year all I had to do was point them at a nest and rustle the bedding around and they were good to go. This year, nada. I was hoping one would go broody in time for me to set them on a few ceramic eggs and then do the old switcheroo on them but no go. I'm on day 10 with my bantam eggs and all are flourishing.

I have noticed them gobbling down the oyster shell so hopefully they will be resuming full laying duties soon and with spring coming surely a young hen's fancy will be turning to thoughts of turning into a chicken pancake and screeching at anyone who approaches the nest she is occupying. Just watch. These little freeloaders will wait till 5 days after my eggs hatch and go broody. Never fails.

 

[tinakevin]

Well I have 3 broody hens. I gave my 2 bantams an we ad a silkie 2 eggs each and my large fowl Cochin 6 eggs today. I know it's still cold here in New Hampshire but we'll see what happens

Ok that didn't make sense. It should be. I have 2 bantams. 1 is an Easter egger and the other is a silkie.
That's what I get for not proof reading lol

 

[microchick]

Funny, I understood every word! My proof reading isn't what it used to be either.

 

[stephanieleigh]

Question:

I have eggs that are on day 12 of incubation in my incubator and all are looking great after candling, but I just had a gen go broody for the first time. Should I move some of the incubating eggs under her instead of using the incubator?

 

[the poppster]

Question:

I have eggs that are on day 12 of incubation in my incubator and all are looking great after candling, but I just had a gen go broody for the first time. Should I move some of the incubating eggs under her instead of using the incubator?

If she looks serious...you can sacrifice a few eggs and give her a few days...if she's sticking to it, put the rest under her. It's a crap shoot with a first time broody...I've had them abandon the nest the day after I figured she was in it for the long run...I've had a hen hatch out the chicks and after just a couple days, abandon them and go back to laying eggs...it's one of the saddest things to witness, Good Mothering vs Bad Mothering. I had two broody hens...in one fenced off area...the area was evenly divided by another low fence, so the little families could get to know each other, through the safety of the wire...each hen had her own nest box...it didn't start out as a social experiment, but it ended up as one...side by side I got to see what happens to the chicks...the good mom called her chicks to food, hunkered down to warm them, ran to defend them...the bad mom hogged the food, didn't call her chicks, ignored their distress calls and only keep them warm, because she slept in the nest box at night...her chicks wandered around confused and unhappy...there was no cohesion in the group. At first the chicks would follow her around. After a while they tried to go to the Good mom (she didn't want anything to do with them) after a few more days, they didn't even respond to her calling...since then, I be sure to watch the hens closely, to be sure that they are taking care of the chicks. If not, I will intervene and take the chicks away from her and Brood them in a broody pen.

 

[sbeth]

Hey guys! I'm back again with another question. Thanks for the information on my last post. Out of 5 eggs 3 hatched!

Now, here's my new question. How long should we leave her sitting on the other eggs before taking them?