Broody NEEDS to stick it out!!!!

[TheChickenGirl16]

I tried to take a few of her eggs, but she started pecking the heck out of my hand. So I waited to try again until she got up, but she noticed, and followed me around screaming until I gave them back. I’m just going to let her have them, but I keep checking to make sure that she is still covering all of them… so far, so good.

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Let us know how she gets along!

I will!
And I’ll post pictures of the babies if she makes it all the way.

 

[FunClucks]

I tried to take a few of her eggs, but she started pecking the heck out of my hand. So I waited to try again until she got up, but she noticed, and followed me around screaming until I gave them back. I’m just going to let her have them, but I keep checking to make sure that she is still covering all of them… so far, so good.

Sounds like she's going to be an awesome broody mom!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I typically give a hen 12 eggs of the size that she normally lays. I had a hen hide a nest and bring 18 chicks off, obviously she could cover that many. I never did find her nest so I don't know how many eggs she had. I gave one hen 12 eggs and it was obviously too many, she had trouble covering all of them, so I removed two. But the vast majority of my hens can comfortably cover 12 eggs about the size she lays.

I agree you do not want the eggs to build up to the point she cannot cover all of them. if she can't cover all of them some will die. I find that each hen is different in how many she can cover.

I mark the eggs I want her to hatch and start them at the same time. Then every day after the others have laid I check under her to remove any that don't belong. As long as you remove them daily they can still be used.

I tried to take a few of her eggs, but she started pecking the heck out of my hand.

Some are like that. Consider wearing gloves and maybe long sleeves.

I do not give a hen eggs until she has spent two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. Some hens will act like they are broody but aren't really committed. That two consecutive nights has worked for me so far. I have never had one quit on their own after two consecutive nights. When dealing with living animals you do not get guarantees, my next effort could be my first failure in this. You never know.

Good luck. Looking forward to photos.

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Sounds like she's going to be an awesome broody mom!

Yeah, I hope she doesn’t teach her babies that I’m a bad guy!

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

I typically give a hen 12 eggs of the size that she normally lays. I had a hen hide a nest and bring 18 chicks off, obviously she could cover that many. I never did find her nest so I don't know how many eggs she had. I gave one hen 12 eggs and it was obviously too many, she had trouble covering all of them, so I removed two. But the vast majority of my hens can comfortably cover 12 eggs about the size she lays.

I agree you do not want the eggs to build up to the point she cannot cover all of them. if she can't cover all of them some will die. I find that each hen is different in how many she can cover.

I mark the eggs I want her to hatch and start them at the same time. Then every day after the others have laid I check under her to remove any that don't belong. As long as you remove them daily they can still be used.


Some are like that. Consider wearing gloves and maybe long sleeves.

I do not give a hen eggs until she has spent two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. Some hens will act like they are broody but aren't really committed. That two consecutive nights has worked for me so far. I have never had one quit on their own after two consecutive nights. When dealing with living animals you do not get guarantees, my next effort could be my first failure in this. You never know.

Good luck. Looking forward to photos.

She ACTUALLY hatched 18 eggs??? So cool!!!

I have definitely already labeled her eggs, and now that it has been a few days, they have that very special shine that makes them so easy to tell apart.
I usually feed them in the evening before roosting, so she comes out for dinner, and I sneak in to take any eggs slipped in from other hens during the day.

Normally, the broody chooses the favorite nest, resulting in unnecessary amounts of screaming, and, in some cases, broken eggs.
This little lady, very wisely chose a nest no one uses anyway. So, for the three days she’s been sitting here, I’ve only had to take one extra egg.

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Hello everyone!
I am so sorry that it has been so long since I last updated.
We are actually on day 16, and at this point all of her eggs are still alive!

We actually had a successful move on day 6, and she loves her new home. (Of course aside from my 12 week old pullets pestering her!!!)
My brother and I found some old chairs, and turned them into little broody huts. Here she is….

Isn’t she adorable?!!!
My favorite is when she talks to her eggs as she rotates them! I also love how she pushes them all back under each time she sits back down.

 

[FunClucks]

Hello everyone!
I am so sorry that it has been so long since I last updated.
We are actually on day 16, and at this point all of her eggs are still alive!

We actually had a successful move on day 6, and she loves her new home. (Of course aside from my 12 week old pullets pestering her!!!)
My brother and I found some old chairs, and turned them into little broody huts. Here she is….
View attachment 4110116
Isn’t she adorable?!!!
My favorite is when she talks to her eggs as she rotates them! I also love how she pushes them all back under each time she sits back down.

How cute! What an awesome mom! Crossing fingers all goes well for a successful hatch and post-hatch mothering!

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

So, I actually had another broody start on the same day as my precious Golds.
Her name is Ember. She is a very devoted mother. Here she is—

So fluffy!
Well anyway,
She did a very good job for a long time,(except she got her eggs nasty! I think she was afraid to get up and poo because her devoted lover, Mr. Bumpy, would always come to visit her eggs and it made her very nervous.) After 3 failed attempts at moving her to her broody hut, I decided to just leave her alone. So she made it to day 15!
Then on Sunday, I let the chickens out, and I was happy to see her up. Honestly, it had been a while. Well, we left for church, and were gone all day, so I never came back to check on her. Once we came home, I found her in the box right beside her original, sitting on only one egg. Her first eggs were very cold, with no movement at all. It had been at least 10 hours.
She was definitely still broody,(screaming and everything!) So I decided that this might be my chance to move her to the hut. I made a thick layer of pine shavings, with lots of hay on top and a new clutch of eggs. Then moved her. I’m took a while for her to settle down, but she did.

I feel kind of bad, but I’m sort of doing a trap nesting method. I know she is still broody, whenever I let her out, she frantically runs around with her wings out, and her feathers ruffled, and is still very warm underneath. If I let her out of the small run, she immediately goes back to the old boxes, and sits on one or no eggs.
I am still making sure she comes off every day to eat, drink, and poop.
I think she will settle down after a bit, and I can remove the hardware cloth. She just has to get used to the new surroundings. Here she is now———

Proud to be Momma!

If all else fails, I will just give her chicks. I think she would do well with them,(especially because if she walks out, they can just follow her!!!)

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

How cute! What an awesome mom! Crossing fingers all goes well for a successful hatch and post-hatch mothering!

Thank you!!!