Broody Hens Instinct O_o

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Yea, don't stress. I'm one of those people that has to check the broodies eggs too (I've gotten better about though). My eggs hatch just fine. I couldn't help myself, I was so curious about the differences between when I do it and when she does it. The biggest difference I found is that she's better at incubation then I am
Nikki

 

[Orpy]

Yea, don't stress. I'm one of those people that has to check the broodies eggs too (I've gotten better about though). My eggs hatch just fine. I couldn't help myself, I was so curious about the differences between when I do it and when she does it. The biggest difference I found is that she's better at incubation then I am

Nikki

I worry a little about the eggs as the other hens tend to push her off the eggs to lay theirs amongst the fertile ones - that's another reason I've been checking up on her and the eggs, to make sure she's sitting on the fertile ones. Not too long to go though, 4 to 5 more days before I expect them to hatch.
Another query I have, and still have not made up my mind, is about whether or not to remove the chicks when they're hatched. I have no idea what to expect from all the other hens (since she allows them to push her off the eggs now, how protective of the chicks will she be). I did try to move her broody bum in the beginning but she was having none of it so she stayed in the coop with the rest of the girls.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If she's a push over (pun intended), I'd probably fence her off from the others somehow just to be safe. A dog crate, or some hardware clothe or something like that. She may be just fine, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... Good luck
Nikki

 

[CayuseRanch]

My preference is to move them. I actually built the broody/mommy spa. I have a small pen with a dog house in it. That way I don't have to worry about other chickens eating their food, getting at the babies or mommy quitting her job.

 

[Orpy]

My preference is to move them. I actually built the broody/mommy spa. I have a small pen with a dog house in it. That way I don't have to worry about other chickens eating their food, getting at the babies or mommy quitting her job.

So you move mama with the chicks?

 

[Orpy]

I just read a comment in the broody hen thread saying that if the eggs aren't of the hen that is sitting, she will kill the chicks

I bought fertile d'uucle eggs for my half-bred silkie bantam to brood on. I'm guessing this is a possibility and the probability of it happening (i hope) is few and far between. Has anyone had this happened? Sometimes I read too much

 

[CayuseRanch]

Ihave heard of hens raising ducks. Could that person have meant chicks placed under a hen, not eggs hatched? And yes, the first time I moved momma and chicks. After that I moved momma with eggs before they developed .

 

[Orpy]

Ihave heard of hens raising ducks. Could that person have meant chicks placed under a hen, not eggs hatched? And yes, the first time I moved momma and chicks. After that I moved momma with eggs before they developed .

Interesting, chooks raising ducks

And yeah I went and re-read the thread and it does sound like someone wanting to place chicks under a hen <-- That has never crossed my mind before, placing chicks under a hen. I'll be watching her as close as I can when hatching time is nearer

it's more the other hens that concerns me, but if I can move her and the chicks I will