Butchering a broody hen

[HeritageFan]

Full disclaimer, we have turkeys and ducks, and no chickens...
However, I also agree that a hen that is not pulling her weight (so to speak) would be one I would also consider culling -
I have a broody heritage turkey hen, and have noticed that the other girls tend to run her back to the “nest” to take care of -their- eggs (so they can hang with the Tom.... lol) so I give her a bit more grace.
I check for / pull eggs twice a day from the turkeys. One hen is always on the “nest”...
Processing and roasting would perhaps be worth the experiment? Please report back if you decide to go that route.
But should you decide to process her, you could also fry, smoke, or do some type of casserole type dish with the meat, if you are not interested in an experiment?
I do a lot of jerky in my dehydrator and smoker with my older ducks and turkeys.
Just brainstorming. Also weighing in to follow this thread.
I look forward to seeing what else others have to say!

 

[Morrigan]

The hen had been broody for a couple of weeks and the chicks were introduced the day I bought them at Tractor Supply. The first guy said he thought they were 3 days but they looked a little older than that to me and a guy I talked to later said they had been about a week because I told him they had little tails started. The chicks were introduced in the evening. The hen talked to them but never took them under her wings. I checked every now and then and the chicks were always huddled in a corner. It began to chill a little more than I was comfortable leaving them unattended, so I took them inside and put them in a tub.

That's tough luck. You did everything right, but it sounds like the chicks were just too old for the fostering to work. The problem is not with the hen (unless she was attacking them), but with the fact that once chicks get to be more than a few days old, they will be frightened of the broody and won't respond and bond with her. Even 4 or 5 days old can be pushing it, especially if the chicks have already spent a few days under a heat lamp in a bin with a bunch of other chicks. They don't understand, or are too frightened, to crawl under her.

But all that is water under the bridge now. If her broodiness is driving you crazy, culling is a good option.

 

[Sussex19]

That's tough luck. You did everything right, but it sounds like the chicks were just too old for the fostering to work. The problem is not with the hen (unless she was attacking them), but with the fact that once chicks get to be more than a few days old, they will be frightened of the broody and won't respond and bond with her. Even 4 or 5 days old can be pushing it, especially if the chicks have already spent a few days under a heat lamp in a bin with a bunch of other chicks. They don't understand, or are too frightened, to crawl under her.

I disagree.
I have put 3 week old chicks under a broody hen, and while the bond was never quite as strong as it usually is, (I had to separate them, as they were a bit inclined to start following other hens around) the chicks took well to going under a hen for heat, and quickly learnt what cluck meant food.

 

[Morrigan]

I disagree.
I have put 3 week old chicks under a broody hen, and while the bond was never quite as strong as it usually is, (I had to separate them, as they were a bit inclined to start following other hens around) the chicks took well to going under a hen for heat, and quickly learnt what cluck meant food.

That's interesting and I guess it goes to show there aren't any hard and fast rules and that every situation is different. Personally, I've had trouble getting 4 to 5 day old chicks to accept a mother hen. Some of it may have to do with temperatures. The hardest foster I've done was with 4 to 5 day old chicks when overnight temps were in the 70s. A few of the chicks fled the nest every time I put them in and I would find them huddling in a corner away from the broody. Mom wasn't attacking them, they just wanted nothing to do with her. In the wee hours of dawn, I eventually got them to stay at least semi-under mom, and it all worked out. I since did some reading on it, and found that older chicks have trouble accepting the broody.

I have to confess that I've never tried to foster 5+ day old chicks. Your story gives my hope that if every I was in a situation where that was the only option open to me, I would give it a try.

 

[Morrigan]

I disagree.
I have put 3 week old chicks under a broody hen, and while the bond was never quite as strong as it usually is, (I had to separate them, as they were a bit inclined to start following other hens around) the chicks took well to going under a hen for heat, and quickly learnt what cluck meant food.

Another thought I had after reading this, is that if @victoriasews still as the broody, and it wasn't the case that the broody attacked the chicks, she might give it another try. I would make sure the chicks have a chance to get a little cold first, so they would welcome the warmth of the broody.

 

[Sussex19]

That's interesting and I guess it goes to show there aren't any hard and fast rules and that every situation is different. Personally, I've had trouble getting 4 to 5 day old chicks to accept a mother hen. Some of it may have to do with temperatures. The hardest foster I've done was with 4 to 5 day old chicks when overnight temps were in the 70s. A few of the chicks fled the nest every time I put them in and I would find them huddling in a corner away from the broody. Mom wasn't attacking them, they just wanted nothing to do with her. In the wee hours of dawn, I eventually got them to stay at least semi-under mom, and it all worked out. I since did some reading on it, and found that older chicks have trouble accepting the broody.

I have to confess that I've never tried to foster 5+ day old chicks. Your story gives my hope that if every I was in a situation where that was the only option open to me, I would give it a try.

Maybe I was just lucky?
I can't remember just what the temps were, but I believe they were on the cooler side, so that would have definitely helped, by the sounds of it.
It was a first time broody, and while she was a good mum, I don't believe she did anything special, so as to speak.
I have also done 4 day old chicks, and had no issues whatsoever, although they were mixed in with 1 day olds.

 

[Isadora]

I have never heard that a broody hen would have such a surplus of hormones that it would make a difference in her meat. But it would certainly matter how much weight she has on her right now. If she has been persistently broody, she will undoubtedly be thinner than an average hen. You will need to cook her low and slow with a moist heat method.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If she has been persistently broody, she will undoubtedly be thinner than an average hen.

That would be because she has used a lot of the fat that was stored for that purpose, not that she has lost a lot of meat. Unless you want the extra fat to make schmaltz I don't think you would notice.