Broody Hen Thread!

[Monstro]

We have 3 ducks and 1 chicken sharing/fighting over eggs. Started about 10 days ago with 2 ducks. Sorted the eggs this weekend. Most were not fertile. We left 2 nests next to each other of 5 duck eggs each showing some devlopment. And marked them.
Anything else i should do? Thought about seperating them but not sure who to separate.

 

[beausonge]

I need an opinion. My chicken broodies are starting to come into their setting season. I have 3 that have already hatched 17 chicks and I have 2 more that are setting. I have at least 3 more due soon. Some friends have asked if I will let 2 of those set TURKEYS. At first I said yes but now I am really wondering if I should? Their turkey hens haven't gone Broody BUT I am thinking they aren't allowing them to set on enough eggs to induce it. They are only letting them pile up 5 before they take them. My broodies like at least 10 - whether they are bantams or large fowl. What would you do?

 

[fisherlady]

I need an opinion. My chicken broodies are starting to come into their setting season. I have 3 that have already hatched 17 chicks and I have 2 more that are setting. I have at least 3 more due soon. Some friends have asked if I will let 2 of those set TURKEYS. At first I said yes but now I am really wondering if I should? Their turkey hens haven't gone Broody BUT I am thinking they aren't allowing them to set on enough eggs to induce it. They are only letting them pile up 5 before they take them. My broodies like at least 10 - whether they are bantams or large fowl. What would you do?

Unless you have some particular chicken eggs you want to hatch for yourself I would say go ahead and set the turkey eggs. If turkey hens are like chicken hens they will show no rhyme or reason on their first brood.

If your friend wants to raise the poults as soon as they hatch then I would wait till they are 7 days in and add a couple of chicken eggs so the hen has chicks to raise.

 

[PeepsForUs]

Our broody hen, Goldilocks, has been setting on 5 eggs for two weeks and today one of our other hens brutally attacked her and broke all of her eggs! Is this typical? Our poor broody hen is injured. Her one eye is damaged so bad it's sealed shut!

 

[candi80]

So silly question. Our broody Frizzle just hatched 4 of the 6 eggs we put underneath her (other two are pipping still). Do they feed their chicks like birds do? I was trying to show the chicks how to drink and eat but Frizzle wasn't having it. And do I need a heat lamp if I have the hen in the box with the chicks? We live in Central Florida so it's pretty warm and we have her and the babies in our bathroom. I've shut the A/C vent and blocked the gap at the bottom of the bathroom door to prevent a draft. We keep our A/C at 80 and we do live in an older model mobile home so insulation is like no existing lol.So the bathroom is pretty warm. Should this be enough? We were told yes but I'm kinda having doubts now. Or should I have a space heater in there in case it gets cool at night.

 

[fisherlady]

So silly question. Our broody Frizzle just hatched 4 of the 6 eggs we put underneath her (other two are pipping still). Do they feed their chicks like birds do? I was trying to show the chicks how to drink and eat but Frizzle wasn't having it. And do I need a heat lamp if I have the hen in the box with the chicks? We live in Central Florida so it's pretty warm and we have her and the babies in our bathroom. I've shut the A/C vent and blocked the gap at the bottom of the bathroom door to prevent a draft. We keep our A/C at 80 and we do live in an older model mobile home so insulation is like no existing lol.So the bathroom is pretty warm. Should this be enough? We were told yes but I'm kinda having doubts now. Or should I have a space heater in there in case it gets cool at night.

She is fine without extra heat...and the chicks don't need food or water until late the second day or even the third day. If she seemed upset with you it is because she was protecting the chicks and her remaining eggs which are trying to hatch. Leave her finish the hatch, spend the next day or so doing some research reading and gather the stuff you will need for them when they are ready to eat and drink.

 

[fisherlady]

Our broody hen, Goldilocks, has been setting on 5 eggs for two weeks and today one of our other hens brutally attacked her and broke all of her eggs! Is this typical? Our poor broody hen is injured. Her one eye is damaged so bad it's sealed shut!

I am sorry, that behavior isn't really typical but isn't unheard of. Unfortunately chickens have widely varying personalities and while some flocks are very understanding of broody behaviors there can be some flock members who bully the broody or insist on getting into her box to lay their egg. Eggs are broken by accident, not with malicious intent, unless the hen breaking them is an egg eater...the attack on your broody may have been a pecking order conflict or a fight over the preferred nesting location. Unfortunately no matter what the cause was the result was the same.
Some folks choose to separate broodies entirely during the brood process to avoid such incidents, and some people leave them in the coop but provide wire fence boundries or doors to prevent problems.
Only experience can show what flocks are tolerant and which aren't or maybe it is just one or two flock members being problematic.
If your broody is still sitting once you fix up the eye you can consider a few newly hatched chicks for her to adopt (numerous places to get them this time of year) or you can break her broodiness.
If you want her to have chicks please make sure she has a safe spot to keep them while you decide what you will do with problem flock members.

 

[elmoflim]

So silly question. Our broody Frizzle just hatched 4 of the 6 eggs we put underneath her (other two are pipping still). Do they feed their chicks like birds do? I was trying to show the chicks how to drink and eat but Frizzle wasn't having it. And do I need a heat lamp if I have the hen in the box with the chicks? We live in Central Florida so it's pretty warm and we have her and the babies in our bathroom. I've shut the A/C vent and blocked the gap at the bottom of the bathroom door to prevent a draft. We keep our A/C at 80 and we do live in an older model mobile home so insulation is like no existing lol.So the bathroom is pretty warm. Should this be enough? We were told yes but I'm kinda having doubts now. Or should I have a space heater in there in case it gets cool at night.

My silkie is outside with her four chicks and it's been getting down to the 30's and even snowed. The chicks are just two weeks and play away from mom in the cold weather. So you don't have to worry about the temperature. Mom will teach them what water and food is. Just relax keep an eye out for mama and let her do her thing. Chicks have two or three days that the yolk is absorbed into their bodies which give mom more time to sit on the late hatchers. My four hatched within three different days. One the first day, another the second, and two on the last. By the time the last one dried off she was teaching the others to eat and drink. You'll hear her cluck to them when she's got food or water for them. They eat just like her(she doesn't put food into their mouth) pecking at the chick food and water. The space heater might actually make them too hot. Just trust her and have a back up plan if you notice odd behavior from her.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Our broody hen, Goldilocks, has been setting on 5 eggs for two weeks and today one of our other hens brutally attacked her and broke all of her eggs! Is this typical? Our poor broody hen is injured. Her one eye is damaged so bad it's sealed shut!

Mercy, that is bad!! Another reason I move All my broodies----I would hate for this to happen. Sorry

 

[candi80]

My silkie is outside with her four chicks and it's been getting down to the 30's and even snowed. The chicks are just two weeks and play away from mom in the cold weather. So you don't have to worry about the temperature. Mom will teach them what water and food is. Just relax keep an eye out for mama and let her do her thing. Chicks have two or three days that the yolk is absorbed into their bodies which give mom more time to sit on the late hatchers. My four hatched within three different days. One the first day, another the second, and two on the last. By the time the last one dried off she was teaching the others to eat and drink. You'll hear her cluck to them when she's got food or water for them. They eat just like her(she doesn't put food into their mouth) pecking at the chick food and water. The space heater might actually make them too hot. Just trust her and have a back up plan if you notice odd behavior from her.

Thank you!!! I checked on them several times during the night and this morning. Momma and babies are doing good but Momma looking tired but I can relate...Demanding newborns lol. They are active little things, crawling underneath and all on top of her. #6 still hasn't appeared yet so hopefully it's going to finish pipping through the egg. But if it doesn't, 83% hatch rate isn't too bad for a first timer.