Do I have a broody hen?

[Frizzlett98]

Question for all those who have broody hen experience! Binky's eggs are due to hatch any time now provided they are still alive. I read that a hen will push eggs to the other side of the nest if she knows they are bad. Since last week, I have seen 2 different eggs out from underneath her. I don't know if she did that or if a hen that wanted to lay stole it from her and it was left there. But anyway, that leaves 3 eggs untouched, 2 of which I think have a good possibility to hatch. I lifted Binky up to check for eggs that weren't hers and when I did, she was a little damp from the humidity. She has not been like that until just today. Does that mean they could be starting to hatch since the humidity went up significantly? And do you think a hen will know when they have begun to hatch? She was very uptight when I lifted her up. More uptight than usual and has been more aggressive today towards everything. Any thoughts? I know it's probably a "wait and see" at this point but I couldn't find anything that would answer my questions. Just curious. Thanks.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Question for all those who have broody hen experience! Binky's eggs are due to hatch any time now provided they are still alive. I read that a hen will push eggs to the other side of the nest if she knows they are bad. Since last week, I have seen 2 different eggs out from underneath her. I don't know if she did that or if a hen that wanted to lay stole it from her and it was left there. But anyway, that leaves 3 eggs untouched, 2 of which I think have a good possibility to hatch. I lifted Binky up to check for eggs that weren't hers and when I did, she was a little damp from the humidity. She has not been like that until just today. Does that mean they could be starting to hatch since the humidity went up significantly? And do you think a hen will know when they have begun to hatch? She was very uptight when I lifted her up. More uptight than usual and has been more aggressive today towards everything. Any thoughts? I know it's probably a "wait and see" at this point but I couldn't find anything that would answer my questions. Just curious. Thanks.

Just seeing this post and it was 4 days ago so thinking that Binky may have answered your questions by now. We did our first broody hatch this past spring and - on day 21 - went to the nest and didn't have to move anyone. Could hear a tiny "peep-peep-peep" but couldn't see anything. We didn't get a glimpse of the baby [only one hatched, they were shipped eggs] for about 48 hours. Our Blondie definitely knew what was going on as she wasn't happy with us even hanging around!

Do you have chicks?? Let us know!!

 

[cafrhe]

We candled our eggs at 10 and 15 days. Saw what looked like several undeveloped eggs at day 10, they the same at day 15. We worked at night when Peanut was non-mobile. We just lifted her off the nest and put her down, she stayed put until we moved her back to the nest. We removed the non developing eggs and she has 3 left. We are on day 17 and getting excited and worried about the hatching. Hoping for the best.

I hope BInky did well!

 

[Frizzlett98]

Binky did great but the incubator had already killed the 2 chicks that made it that far. She's still trying to sit on eggs although we have none for her. I tried taking her off the nest and putting her in a different pen but all that did was cause people to complain about what I was doing. Like, "If you keep her from her nest she may be traumatized and never sit again!" and "Why don't you just leave her there? If she wants to sit, let her!". They don't understand what happens to a hen when she goes broody. So I've tried to break her with not much success. I've kept her off the nest for a few hours while she was in a different pen, but she went right back when I let her out. She was VERY unhappy in that pen. I'm just going to let her sit any not worry about it anymore. I gave her an egg that one of my Red Sex Links laid yesterday. It should be a Buff Orpington/ RSL cross. Only one though. I figured as long as she's going to sit, she might as well have an egg. But she's doing great and I know I can trust her with eggs in the Spring.

 

[Frizzlett98]

Just thought I'd add that she is a coop broody. She's taking up a whole nest box to herself and I've tried relocating her, but she gets off the nest and runs around frantically trying to get back to her.. nest. My hens only use 2 out of 3 nest boxes I currently have up and Binky is in one of them. I'm going to try moving her to the least favorite nest box. So any other ideas would be helpful. If this doesn't work, which it should because she's only moving over a few inches, I'm going to try moving her somewhere else at night.