Broody Hen Thread!

[ChickenGirl555]

I have one more question...During Lockdown and/or hatching, does broody get up to still drink and eat? Or does she sit during the whole Lockdown? If she sits for the whole lockdown, shouldn't I put food and water within her reach; in front of the nesting box?

 

[fisherlady]

Our Broodies still get out fora daily trip through day 20, but the trips are pretty brief the last day or two. Best to allow them to get up for food and water to avoid them soiling the nest. Only exception is in very hot weather I will offer drinks to broodies but I don't set it there, hubby or I hold it for the hen to get some cool sips. Our hens are pretty experienced broodies and seem to like the 'room service', lol

 

[Ghosty]

I have a broody that is under a year old. She was insistent and I don't have a roo, so I stopped at a random fresh egg sign and got her (hopefully) some fertile eggs. The thing is, she is still laying eggs in the nest. I put 14 eggs under her. I come out and find extra eggs under her and at first thought it could be other hens, but suspected it was her. I took a couple extra eggs out this morning and marked the fertile ones when she left the coop to eat. I blocked the coop off so I could let my chicks out in the coop. I went back out and could tell there was a broken egg. I took her off the nest, covered the goo, looked at the eggs, and she had laid another egg. I'm wondering if she will continue to lay eggs throughout her hatch. The eggs had gunk on them, but I just repositioned them and left them alone.

 

[mommyrocks74]

Hey friends I need your advice. Over the past few weeks my one broody hen grew to three broody hens sitting on ten eggs extremely diligently and today I went to see if we had any peeps and all ten eggs are gone, only saw remnants of one shell, no "parts" or mess, and the hens are absolutely freaking out. I have no idea what happened. I have some ceramic eggs I could give them to try to calm I them down and try to swap them for chicks but I'm concerned about what happened and if there is still a threat, I don't know if that would work, etc. I'm ok with not having chicks but they are very upset and have already been sitting three weeks! Would giving them chicks even work? Will they calm down in a few days? As it is they are all three crammed in one box fighting over nonexistent eggs and won't let me look around for evidence. They're in a pretty secure enclosure with two other hens and a rooster who seem to have been keeping a very respectful distance the whole time. Help!

 

[fisherlady]

Hey friends I need your advice. Over the past few weeks my one broody hen grew to three broody hens sitting on ten eggs extremely diligently and today I went to see if we had any peeps and all ten eggs are gone, only saw remnants of one shell, no "parts" or mess, and the hens are absolutely freaking out. I have no idea what happened. I have some ceramic eggs I could give them to try to calm I them down and try to swap them for chicks but I'm concerned about what happened and if there is still a threat, I don't know if that would work, etc. I'm ok with not having chicks but they are very upset and have already been sitting three weeks! Would giving them chicks even work? Will they calm down in a few days? As it is they are all three crammed in one box fighting over nonexistent eggs and won't let me look around for evidence. They're in a pretty secure enclosure with two other hens and a rooster who seem to have been keeping a very respectful distance the whole time. Help!

Sorry to hear, my only guess for eggs disappearing is a snake, so security may need reassessed.

The hens may be fine with getting chicks after they have a day or two sitting on eggs again. Just mark some 'sacrificial' eggs and tuck them under them to keep them happy till you find day olds.

 

[Ghosty]

Hey friends I need your advice. Over the past few weeks my one broody hen grew to three broody hens sitting on ten eggs extremely diligently and today I went to see if we had any peeps and all ten eggs are gone, only saw remnants of one shell, no "parts" or mess, and the hens are absolutely freaking out. I have no idea what happened. I have some ceramic eggs I could give them to try to calm I them down and try to swap them for chicks but I'm concerned about what happened and if there is still a threat, I don't know if that would work, etc. I'm ok with not having chicks but they are very upset and have already been sitting three weeks! Would giving them chicks even work? Will they calm down in a few days? As it is they are all three crammed in one box fighting over nonexistent eggs and won't let me look around for evidence. They're in a pretty secure enclosure with two other hens and a rooster who seem to have been keeping a very respectful distance the whole time. Help!

Snake!

 

[Ghosty]

My first broody only hatched two of the fertilized eggs I got her. I should have separated her from the others. She got off to eat, came back to another hen on her nest, and went to another nest and her eggs got cold. One of the chicks has a bad eye.

 

[HERSHORTNESS]

My little broody silkie satfor about 3 or 4 weeks before I let her keep eggs. I gave her 4 eggs. On day 6 I candles them and one was infertile. She continued to sit. She hatched all of them. On hatch day, all had pipped and i took this picture after she got up for her morning forage.

She took care of them in her Luxury suite until I reintroduced mom and babies back in with the rest of flock.

I was very proud of this little mama. She was from my very first flock which i got at the end of july in 2018. She was about 10 months old when she hatched these babies. They are all doing really well. So far i think all my new babies are pullets.

 

[fisherlady]

Another proud mama!

 

[Dharmachick]

Another proud mama!

What a beautiful picture! Seriously, Meyer Hatchery is having a cover contest, I think you should enter.