First Broody Hen

[Jasper_899]

Well title says it all. I'm pretty sure she is broody. Puffed up, growls at me, wont leave the nest I have to make her get off once a day but she quickly eats a few bites and drinks then hops back up to the nest boxes.
My only real issue is that all of my chickens run together in a coop. 12 hens and 3 roosters. The hens seem to want her nest so today I moved her to my broody cage with the bottom half of a small dog kennel. She wasn't sure at first and wanted her other nest back, but she settled on it just fine anyway. Now I have her on 4 of her own eggs and a golf ball just to see if she will stay on them. I have some silkie eggs on the way and I plan to stick them under her. She is a small buff Orpington I got her a few months ago and she had hardly feathers on her back and under her belly. They are slowly growing back, but I'm worried about hardly any feathers affecting the eggs and how many she can fit under her. I think I'm getting a dozen silkie eggs. Is that too many?

I also do not know if this is her first time or not, but I read some stories about first time broody hens and some are not too good. Maybe Im just worrying over it too much xD

I'll take some pictures of her in a few days.

Am I doing anything wrong so far?

Thanks

 

[carriehelene]

Are you planning on leaving her eggs under her when you add the silkie eggs? Or just removing the old eggs, and placing the new? I wouldn't allow more than a day or two difference between them if she's already setting, since if the older eggs hatch, she may give up on the newer eggs if too much time passes. Other than that, sounds like your doing just fine. Congrats on your broody

 

[Jasper_899]

Quote:
There wont be room for them when the silkie eggs arrive and I don't need anymore mixes so no.

It is very interesting to watch the hen be broody just a week ago she was running around playing and near the top of the pecking order, but on Sunday she went all the way down to the lowest and she never moves from that nest. I'm going to put some food and water right next to her, but I need to push her off once a day to poo and walk around.

I should be getting the eggs tomorrow or the next day, how long will a hen stay broody?

 

[carriehelene]

The timing should be ok. If it was delayed by weeks, it could be a problem, but a few days, she should stay broody long enough to hatch the silkie eggs for you. Hens are individuals, they don't go broody for an exact # of days. It's whenever their bodies tell them it's time to give up being broody.

 

[gmendoza]

Here is a pic of one of my broody hens:

Just showing off a mean broody hen.