Broody Hen Thread!

[freechickens1]

Congrats!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Finally got some pictures. She saw me coming with food and started calling them out to me. Best broody ever. She will teach them not to fear us. Love this girl and her babes!

 

[tweeker]

I have a Broody hen she is sitting in like 24 eggs. The other hens just keep adding to her collection. Last time I tried moving her she just stopped and all the babies died. So I don't want to move her. Now another hen decides to help her. But they keep getting g up and sometimes leave them for an hour at a time. It's not really cold her in the 70's but what do I do? If I put a heat lamp it will be too hot for the hens that are sitting.

 

[FarmerTan]

I have a broody who was sitting on eggs, and she abandoned the nest. There was a dead baby there and it was so close to hatching. She's been off the nest for almost 48 hours, and I don't have an incubator. I'm new to all of this, I thought mama would know what to do but I guess her first time around she's still lewrning....are any going to survive? Thanks!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a Broody hen she is sitting in like 24 eggs. The other hens just keep adding to her collection. Last time I tried moving her she just stopped and all the babies died. So I don't want to move her. Now another hen decides to help her. But they keep getting g up and sometimes leave them for an hour at a time. It's not really cold her in the 70's but what do I do? If I put a heat lamp it will be too hot for the hens that are sitting.

Let me give you a word picture, Picture this----you get to the edge of a cliff and jump---then holler---what do I do now? All I can say is, You got a mess---wish you had of asked before this, but if you did not know----you did not know. All I can say is if you want to save all of the started chicks---you got to stop any more from being added---you better get a incubator and candle some eggs to go into it---then that is not going to work good. What would have been good is when you seen she was wanting to set but you were still removing all the eggs daily even from under her---would have been to mark her a dozen eggs say then put them under her and every day remove the unmarked eggs so you do not have this extreme staggered hatch. Good Luck!

 

[microchick]

I have a Broody hen she is sitting in like 24 eggs. The other hens just keep adding to her collection. Last time I tried moving her she just stopped and all the babies died. So I don't want to move her. Now another hen decides to help her. But they keep getting g up and sometimes leave them for an hour at a time. It's not really cold her in the 70's but what do I do? If I put a heat lamp it will be too hot for the hens that are sitting.

24 eggs are far too many for a hen to be sitting on. First off, you do not want other hens to be adding to your hen's broody cause. It sets you up for a staggered hatch. At this point you do not know which eggs were the original eggs that the hen started sitting on. If you have two broodies, I would split them up, give each hen 12 eggs and have an incubator on hand to handle any eggs that will be abandoned when the first eggs hatch and the broody leaves the nest with them and leaves any unhatched eggs behind. Second, I would secure the hens in their own nesting box that the other hens do not have access to. Hens are stupid little creatures, bless em. They see some hen brooding and can't resist giving her more to brood over so they don't have to. The problem though is what you are facing and that is a staggered hatch. Been there done that, got the t-shirt and got some good advice about how to prevent the potential disaster from happening again.

I would also mark any eggs that I give either of the hens. This means you will have to check at least once a day if she isn't isolated and remove any eggs that are unmarked.

The only other option I see is to discard all the eggs and start over using the above advice. It's normal for the hens to leave the nest daily. They seem to know exactly how much chill time the eggs can withstand and how long they can stay away from them.

I have a broody who was sitting on eggs, and she abandoned the nest. There was a dead baby there and it was so close to hatching. She's been off the nest for almost 48 hours, and I don't have an incubator. I'm new to all of this, I thought mama would know what to do but I guess her first time around she's still lewrning....are any going to survive? Thanks!

I am so terribly sorry this happened to you. It's a heart break, that is for sure. Nope, nothing set in stone about hens knowing what they are supposed to do. Perhaps your broody got spooked by the feeling of movement under her and deserted the nest. I would candle the remaining eggs, expect the worse and hope for the best. The best broody hen has a back up in the form of a fretting human worrying over them.If by chance the eggs are still viable and near term AND you can get your hand on an incubator, you could take over duties until the eggs hatch. But being unattended for 48 hours does not bode well for the babies, I'm so very sorry to say.

Good luck.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I have a broody who was sitting on eggs, and she abandoned the nest. There was a dead baby there and it was so close to hatching. She's been off the nest for almost 48 hours, and I don't have an incubator. I'm new to all of this, I thought mama would know what to do but I guess her first time around she's still lewrning....are any going to survive? Thanks!

I would check her and the nest for mites? They are prone to them when sitting so long. I had my first ever broody get mites and she did abandon her nest. At the time i didn't know why but shortly after discovered the reason. Worth looking over. I doubt the eggs will still be viable but you never know. Stranger things have happened..

 

[mysterychick]

Finally got some pictures. She saw me coming with food and started calling them out to me. Best broody ever. She will teach them not to fear us. Love this girl and her babes!

So so so gorgeous! I have a little Silkie sitting on some eggs right now and I am so hoping she hatches at least one or two! Congrats!

 

[mysterychick]

Hi all,
I have a quick qu.
My broody silkie is sitting on 9 shipped eggs and tomorrow marks Day 7. I am almost certain only 3 of them are viable. I will candle again tomorrow and then my plan it to remove the non-developing eggs. My question is, will it freak her out for me to take her from 9 eggs down to only 3? My worry is her abandoning her next or just giving up. I got her broody in the first place using golf balls, and I'd happily throw a few of those back in her nest, but I am also not certain if that will just complicate things further and mess up the remaining three eggs. Basically, I want these 3 babies to make it, so please give me some great advice! She is typically a very very broody hen, and appears to be deeply devoted to the cause, but I am still nervous about upsetting her by taking so many eggs.

 

[MamaChick73]

Congratulations. They are beautiful!