Broody hen *update*

[skunknchatter]

I went to collect eggs today. When I opened the nest box door there was a hen in one. So I tugged her tail a little. That usually gets them to jump right up and go on about their business. Not this time. She ruffled her feathers and made the weirdest sound at me. So I did it again and she tired to take my hand off. I'm excited to have a broody hen. Should I separate her? Would putting her in a large dog crate with her "nest" and food and water be okay (leaving the dog crate in the coop)? She's setting in the nest box everyone lays their eggs in so she could be sitting on up to 8 eggs. I didn't get to check how many she is on. Can I sneek a few more under her when I move her if she's only on a couple? This is so egg-citing!

*Update 5/15/12* When my hen came out of the nest for a walk and some feed I checked in on her eggs. One of them was broken. Mostly my fault because the nest box didn't have good bedding. I put in lots of fresh bedding and nestled the other eggs in. There was some egg from the broken one on just about every egg. I wiped off what I could with clean shavings from the nest. I didn't want to wash them or anything. Will this have an effect on weather or not the eggs hatch? Also can I leave her where she is until about a week before hatch? The other hens don't bother her but I'd rather she hatched her babies in another pen since there is a long drop from the hen house to the ground where she is now. Thanks. I hope some hatch! Broody hens are way more fun than incubators (IMO).

 

[HEChicken]

First I would give her a day or two to make sure she is serious about it. Acting broody for a few hours could just be testing the waters. If she sleeps on the nest and is on it constantly except for a short constitutional break each day, after 2-3 days I would start to treat her as a serious broody hen.

Separating is a good idea but can also be risky, as some hens upon being moved give up being broody. Last year my BSL when broody in the favorite nesting box and all day the other hens crowded in with her to lay their eggs. My eggs weren't fertile so I had to obtain fertile eggs for her and didn't want the other hens adding to the nest after I did that, so after procuring the fertile eggs, I set them up in a nest for her on the ground, in my chick growout coop/run. After dark I moved her onto that nest. It infuriated her and she desperately looked for a way back to her chosen nest but by morning had adopted the new nest and successfully hatched out 7 chicks. Having her in her own coop/run for the duration was great in so many ways. She could still see and hear the flock but they couldn't bother her, and after the chicks hatched they were safe from the other hens for a few days. When she went stir crazy and wanted out, I watched carefully but the other hens didn't bother the chicks at all and they were quickly absorbed into the flock.

You should be able to add some eggs to her nest. Broodies usually don't care whose eggs they are sitting on, or how many, as long as they can cover them all - they just want to sit.

 

[teach1rusl]

I agree w/HEchicken...make sure she's for sure broody first. If you do crate her, after she's well settled on her nest I'd think you could even leave the crate door open, at least until day 18 or 19 or so, when you might want to close it to contain possible hatchlings. I know broodies I've had like to come off the nest to dirtbathe and scratch around (just to stretch I suppose) for a bit before heading back for broody duty.

 

[Judy]

They need to come off the nest daily, to eat and drink and for the exercise. Usually they leave behind one "broody poop" -- big and smelly. If you don't find this, you need to take her off the nest daily. Occasionally a broody never gets up and can die of starvation or get crippled.

A hint if you move her: take the nesting material along -- and, if possible, the nest itself.

I always let the mama raise the chicks in with the flock --- no integration problems later, and this is obviously the way they want it. I have a broody pen, maybe 6'x6' for the setting -- big enough for mama to get some exercise. It's inside the coop, with chicken wire walls. This keeps eggs separate, prevents other hens from breaking eggs, sitting on the wrong nest, etc. A day or two after hatch, mama and chicks has always wanted to get out of it and be with the rest of the flock, so I let them.

 

[skunknchatter]

She's still setting today. I've snuck 2 more eggs under her but she's only got a total of 4. Would it be okay to sneak 2 more in tomorrow or would that screw her hatch up? No one seems to bother her while she's setting. My coop is just a small raised shelter with one roost and 2 3 nest boxes. The chickens only go in at night. Food and water are outside. So most of the day she isn't bothered. She's in the very back corner nest box. Would there be any harm in letting her just stay there rather than trying to separate her? The other hens seem to have adapted to laying in the other boxes rather than the favorite corner box. I did see her get up once this morning. I thought maybe she had changed her mind about setting. Nope, just had to eat and poop I guess.

 

[Judy]

Really, the eggs should be collected away from the hen (as, on the kitchen counter) and placed under her all at once, so they all have the same hatch date. Usually, once a chick hatches, the mama stays on the nest and keeps the chick under her for about 24 hours. Then she abandons any unhatched eggs and takes the chicks out to eat and drink. So I wouldn't add any more eggs.