Broody Hen Thread!

[Perris]

sorry to hear of your travails I do hope it made it - do please let us know if it's with the rest this morning (and if it is, you can relax!)
As I understand it, the speed of feathers coming in is not a guide to gender.

 

[trudyg]

3 chicks this morning! I hardly slept last night for worrying. I made a mistake, tho, and put another ramp at the coop door (usually they use the automatic pop door). I'm afraid that they'll be used to the open big door and not use the pop door. So, today I will leave the big door shut (it's going to be stormy) and they'll have to all use the pop door. My chicken sitter won't be opening and closing the other except when here to feed, so they better get used to the pop door. Also, I think I will leave this thread now since we are no longer a broody, and move to the chick forum

 

[aart]

Glad you found them all @trudyg!

Broody on Day5 hopped off nest on her own when I went in to do chores this morning,
went outside to dust and poop, then was drinking and eating when I left,
always good to see them do that.

 

[trudyg]

Tonight was worse. 2 of them didn't go in and I found them hunkered down behind a block under the coop, had to get down in the muck to get them out. Then mama pecked them (it was dark in the coop). I had to put the light in there so she'd take them. I wonder if the one last night actually was in or hiding under the coop? I looked but didn't see it, so who knows. I hope they catch on soon, don't know what I'll do if they're still doing this when I leave. May just have to let nature take its course.....

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

This is Dancing With Silks aka Maizie.
Yes, she has a rooster.
Yes, she is broody. She started this over a rock. Now she steals the other hens eggs and sets on them.
Had her for 2 years, this is broody episode #4,387...
Fantastic mother though. She's my favorite (but dont you dare tell the others!)

 

[fisherlady]

View attachment 1772217 This is Dancing With Silks aka Maizie.
Yes, she has a rooster.
Yes, she is broody. She started this over a rock. Now she steals the other hens eggs and sets on them.
Had her for 2 years, this is broody episode #4,387...
Fantastic mother though. She's my favorite (but dont you dare tell the others!)

She is beautiful! Good luck on her brood, hope to see more pictures in about 3 weeks.

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

She is beautiful! Good luck on her brood, hope to see more pictures in about 3 weeks.

I've gotta break her of this brood, unfortunately. Our chicken-sitter isn't comfortable with trying to manage chicks and big girls, so when we get back from vacation maybe I'll let her try again. Silly silkie.

 

[dan26552]

I’ve got too many broody hens to count! I have 6 hens and a duck! Four of my hens are Barred rocks. (I don’t know where the feed store got them but 4 out of 13 going broody is quite impressive)
One is a blue laced red Wyandotte, Sam, and my last one is a black Australorp brown Leghorn Cross.
Two of my Barred rocks co-brooded and have 10 ducklings between them. Sam has 7 Australorps and 1 guinea keet.

The only dog allowed within 50ft of Sam’s babies. Our LGD. She and Sam have had this very strange relationship ever since she stopped the cats from getting her chicks last year. She actually used to leave the chicks with her.

 

[artsy.owl]

UPDATE: SHE DID IT!!! Our first two hen-hatched chicks made their debut yesterday. Nobody fell out of the door! Whew! I put food and water in the coop and closed the door so the other hens can’t get in and babies can’t fall out. Our run is secure so it’s ok that they couldn’t go in for the night. I’m going to need to move mama and the babies. I have a small pen I can either put on the floor of the run or I can move her and the babies into the garage. Or I can put her and the babies in a small area with my 6, 6 week old juveniles. Which would be safer for the babies? Norma is being very protective of them. Would she keep the juveniles from hurting them?

 

[fisherlady]

I would not put a broody with young chicks into a confined area with older chicks without planning extended supervision. She may hurt the older chicks to keep them away from her younger ones, and each time she calls her young ones for food the older ones will instinctively respond, and probably upset the hen for doing so.
I would place her in the run with another hutch or place to settle in and again, supervise for conflicts with other flock members.
There is no 'perfect answer' though, since personalities vary so much with birds, but extreme caution is warranted any time broodies are added to the mix!

I have one hen who will 'adopt' much older chicks any time she has chicks of her own, but she is one out of about 40 I can think of....and this happens in a coop where the birds have free range in coop and paddock area of 1000 square feet along with true free ranging in the yard, so no one is restricted. Confined areas are much more high risk for conflicts.