Broody Hen?

[SurferchickinSB]

View attachment 1715992 Hey,
I’m a year into chickens and wondered if I have a broody hen and how do I know for sure.

Here’s a little info to start, I collect our eggs once or twice a day. I was gone all day yesterday so when I went out last night around 6:30 there was a hen on a nest. She made dinosaur sounds when I walked in. I was out about 20 minutes and she was still there when I was heading back in so I left her alone. My husband went out later to lock everyone up and she was still on the nest. This morning she wasn’t on there but there were a couple of eggs in the nest. What do I do? Leave the eggs there and see if she spends more time in there. I’ll be leaving for work in a bit and will be gone all day. If she isn’t broody, I don’t want to leave the eggs sitting. If she is, I wouldn’t mind her hatching a few eggs. Do I mark them? This is an area I’m completely clueless in.

I just dealt with that situation. My broody sat on the nest for about 2 weeks and she just lost so much weight. I started just taking her out in the evening and locking the doors to the run and the coop. She would get something to eat and something to drink and poop but then would want to go back in. I just continued for the next week to take her out every morning, mid day and in the evening I would lock the door for about two hours. She has snapped out of it now over the past couple days! She is hanging with the flock again, thank God! She came out this morning with the rest of the flock! Maybe tonight she will go on the roost. If you want to hatch out some eggs I would wait until she acted like that for the next week. When they are truly brooding, they will not leave the nest for anything!

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

First figure out if she's really broody, these are the sign I use:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.


Then you'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.
View attachment 1769389

Oh my stars, your descriptions of the mad hen are spot on! I'm just about in tears laughing!
Thanks for the great info!

 

[Col1948]

My broody just sits on the roost in the dog crate, she has food and water.
In the morning she is eager to go out, she goes to the feed and water the others are having, pecks about a bit in the garden then she goes straight back in to the crate by herself.
I opened it up mid afternoon but she wasn't interested in coming out, again later before dusk but she just sat there.

My daughter said something interesting when I was talking to her about it, she said, "Isn't this the time most birds start to have chicks, maybe it's just that time of year?"
So is this the time (MOST) hens go broody or can it happen anytime?

 

[aart]

So is this the time (MOST) hens go broody or can it happen anytime?

Spring hormones can run high.....but they can go broody any time of year.

 

[Col1948]

Thanks aart, yes so because of that it is more likely they go in the Spring leading to Summer.
I now have another showing signs of going now, she is still laying but staying on the nest for long periods, she did this yesterday and I moved her off and she stayed outside.
This morning she did the same, again I moved her off and I closed the coop.

If she does go broody can I put her in the dog crate with the other one, there is room for two in there if need be?

 

[aart]

If she does go broody can I put her in the dog crate with the other one, there is room for two in there if need be?

Yep, I've never done it but have read of others doing so.

 

[beth1004]

I have 2 more hens that want to be broody. I’ve been so busy with grandkids that I haven’t addressed it. I’m not sure if I need more chickens right now. . My question is if I let them hatch out babies, how much luck have you had selling mutt chicks?

 

[aart]

My question is if I let them hatch out babies, how much luck have you had selling mutt chicks?

I got real lucky this year, the local mill guy sold them for me....but they were OE pullets.
Can be hard to sell straight run mutts, depending on your location and seller savvy......best bet might a livestock swap.

 

[beth1004]

What are OE?

 

[aart]

What are OE?

Olive Eggers.
I used Black Copper Marans male over Crested Cream Legbar females for chicks sexable at hatch.