Broody Hen Thread!

[Morrigan]

Thanks for sharing.

What a good dog you have.

 

[fisherlady]

She is 1 in a million to us, that's for sure. Dont know how we got so lucky but thankful for her every day!

 

[fisherlady]

Hubby sent me a picture... they have over 60 sq ft of coop space to spread out, and numerous boxes available if they want... so what do they do?? Pile up like a giant broody totem instead, of course!

 

[Marans-copper-and-cuckoo]

i have a broody hen named macaroon with 20 eggs. is this to many?

 

[nchls school]

i have a broody hen named macaroon with 20 eggs. is this to many?

In general it's not a good idea to put that many eggs under a broody hen. If any eggs are sticking out from under her, it's too many. If any of the eggs don't feel as warm as those in the nest center, it's too many. Fewer eggs will usually result in a better hatch. When there's too many eggs, different eggs get chilled so that by hatch day none, or few, of the eggs are still viable and hatch.

Good luck.

 

[fisherlady]

i have a broody hen named macaroon with 20 eggs. is this to many?

20 is more than most hens can successfully brood, but in warm weather a really large hen can cover quite a few.

In general, I would pull all of the eggs out from under her (she will grump but you can give her a single fresh egg to keep her happy for a few minutes). Once you have them out, check for development by candling, discard any that are clear, blood rings or really porous looking. draw a line around them with a sharpie if other hens have access to lay in the box. The line around them allows you to quickly identify any new eggs added to the nest.
To determine the hens coverage capacity just start replacing the eggs 1 at a time. She will shuffle and adjust them to suit herself. If you see she has any peaking out from anywhere around her fluff then she is maxed out and ideally you should remove 2, which will then allow her to keep the rest well covered.
Also keep in mind that whatever she hatches she will be trying to raise also... and 12 chicks at 2 or 3 weeks old dont fit under a hen nearly as well as 12 eggs. It's not as big of an issue if it is a warm weather hatch but if it is cold then it can become a real problem for the chicks.

 

[aart]

Heading off to bed!

 

[Chris Lesley]

i have a broody hen named macaroon with 20 eggs. is this to many?

They might be a bit too many, because not all of them would be able to get the warmth needed, and even if they do, it may be very difficult for her to keep them warm once they're hatched and growing.
All the best

 

[Marans-copper-and-cuckoo]

here is a pic of her on the eggs



i candled them and none were bad. note, its day 18/20

 

[Dharmachick]

Can you brood some if she can't keep the chicks warm? Nature doesn't listen to our rules, otherwise no chicks would ever hatch, lol.