Broody Hens

[BarredBuff]

I am building a 4 by 8 to house some Buff Orpingtons (10 females and 1 male), and I plan to feed them flock raiser, and when one goes broody take eggs from my other coop to the broody and let them hatch the eggs. Do you see any flaws if so please share?

 

[rittert3]

As long as the Orps will go broody for you when you give them eggs. Eventually I would like to do the same with std cochins. I think you should have good luck with orpingtons going broody for you though. Also you might read the thread posted a little while ago about hens eating chicks, it dosn't sound like it's a good idea to have multiple hens in a broody coop.

 

[BarredBuff]

Due to the post about the hen eating a chick will my chicks be okay with their mommies?

 

[FortWorthChicks]

from what I hear there is the occasional psyco hen mom but mostly they will raise what they hatch.

 

[BarredBuff]

I am gonna atleast try it I dont figure they eat that many.....

 

[chickensnax]

my BO hatched a couple this last October and she did great. we had a few mishaps this being mine and hers first time hatching eggs. She did great especially when I got her seperated by the rest of the flock. I used a wire dog kenel in the coop. She was still seeing the flock but they couldn't get to her nest and I just placed food and water inside with her. I had to do it this way cause I only have one coop. She didn't have any issues with the babies once they started hatching, she was very protective of them, even pecked me a few times while I tried to look on. We did loose a couple, I found them out of their shell but no long with us, I believe they just got smothered but no way to tell for sure. The kenel worked great because they still had some interaction with the rest of the flock but were secure at the same time. When they were finally let out with everybody By Bo did great the flock was out free ranging and she kept to the pen for the first week or so then she free ranged too. She just kept the babies away from everyone till they were older, and kept to the brush more then everyone else. But it was great watching her teach the babies how to scratch and chase bugs. She even defended her babies from the out side kitties that were just passing by. And since it is wintertime anyway and wouldn't be laying she mothered them for ages, they were 12 weeks and she was still sleeping with them but now she's laying again and left the babies to their own devices. About time too since they'er bigger than she is, and just my luck both roo's.

Oh and I don't have a clue as to whose eggs she actually hatched either.

 

[chickensnax]

Mom being snuggly with the babies in their private retreat

and mom showing them its great to jump on things,
then the family settled down to a big grooming session.

 

[BarredBuff]

Will the chicks still do good with all of the other orps?

 

[chickenma]

I had a broody hen last year and she hatch her own chicks. This was a mommy with a lot of hormones and no one wanted to mess with her. She attack if some one would come to close to her chick and was pretty mean for a while but when the chicks got bigger she began to soften too.
She was a great mommy for her chicks and took really good care of them. They grow up to be healthy and strong chickens.
the nice thing about a broody hen is for me is that I just enjoy looking at mommy and chicks and i don't have to do anything. She does all the work.

The same thing for my Muscovy hen. She was very protective of her kids and it wasn't an easy job to keep track of everyone but they are all big and adult now.

Love broody hens. They are a lot cheaper and less stress full then an incubator.

Good luck Don't forget : you can't make a hen go broody that's why I have an incubator for when I 'm impatient and don't want to wait for a broody hen

 

[swedishfish]

When I had broody hens, I didn't separate them from the rest because they seemed to be fine with everyone. I've had two hens go broody together twice. My two wyandottes raised a brood together and were even fine raising the four chicks together. Here's some pictures! I have had some broodies kill their chicks, but not eat them. One broody hatched two, pecked both, one died and I saved the other. Either she was a bad mom or the chicks had something wrong with them before...