First time broody hen! Newbie here!

[Henny0831]

Looking for any and all advice on broody hens! In our last batch of chicks we ended up with two Polish roosters. We haven’t re-homed them yet because so far they haven’t shown aggression towards the kids, which would be our main reason for re-homing. They are 20 weeks old. Over the past week or so one of our hens has become broody. She’s sitting on quite a few eggs and won’t let me under her to get them. Will they all hatch? Do they need to be separated if they do hatch? What happens if she’s sitting on unfertilized eggs? I apologize for the lack of knowledge!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Looking for any and all advice on broody hens! In our last batch of chicks we ended up with two Polish roosters. We haven’t re-homed them yet because so far they haven’t shown aggression towards the kids, which would be our main reason for re-homing. They are 20 weeks old. Over the past week or so one of our hens has become broody. She’s sitting on quite a few eggs and won’t let me under her to get them. Will they all hatch? Do they need to be separated if they do hatch? What happens if she’s sitting on unfertilized eggs? I apologize for the lack of knowledge!

Congratulations! Keep an eye one her to make sure she eats and drinks. Some broodies are good about that, mine didn't get up at all. I had to pull her off in the evening to make sure she ate and drank, and pooped. I didn't have any time to candle the eggs. Time for 21days and keep an eye on her, I had an egg hatch a week before everyone else!

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

There is a chance that not all of them are going to hatch. That's why it's good to candle the eggs so you know if they are developing or not. If they aren't then you can take those from the nest. You can candle them on days 9 and 18 before lockdown. If you're wanting to let her raise the chicks, I would separate her from the rest of the flock because you don't know what the other chickens may do to the chicks that hatch. And hens that want to lay, if they're higher in the pecking order, they will peck her from the nest to lay their egg leaving a different age egg of incubation for the broody when she returns. If you have anymore questions I'll do my best to try to answer them.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Congrats on your broody! Yes some of those eggs could be fertilized.

You can scoop that hen up under her chest and put her near the food so you can check her eggs. If she’s really protective you may have to shut her out of the coop for a few minutes. While she’s busy, candle the eggs and draw a line with a Sharpie on them. Anything that is not at the same stage of developement can be tossed so you don’t end up with a staggered hatch. (Smashing a barely developing egg is less sad to me than finding eggs that are abandoned right before hatch.)

I usually take my hens off the nest every day or so, that lets me feel their body condition and remove any newly laid eggs. I candle at day 7 and Day 14 to make sure she doesn’t end up with any rotten eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Looking for any and all advice on broody hens! In our last batch of chicks we ended up with two Polish roosters. We haven’t re-homed them yet because so far they haven’t shown aggression towards the kids, which would be our main reason for re-homing. They are 20 weeks old.

Are those the only males you have? It's possible they fertilized some eggs but also possible they did not. One way to know is to candle them after they have been incubated for a while. Some people can see development after about 3 days, especially with good candling equipment and if the egg shells are white. Dark brown, green, or blue eggs can be a lot harder to see inside. I'd suggest waiting until day 7, especially if you have no experience candling.

The other way is to incubate them and see if any hatch.

Over the past week or so one of our hens has become broody. She’s sitting on quite a few eggs and won’t let me under her to get them.

When I was a young boy one of my chores was to mark the eggs and put them under a broody hen so they all started at the same time and would hatch at the same time. Another chore was to gather the eggs every day. That included checking under a broody hen and remove any eggs that were not marked. Most broody hens weren't that bad but some would peck hard. I'd check anyway. When you need to do something you need to do it. Besides, I wasn't going to tell my Dad I was afraid of a hen. I did not have long sleeves or gloves. So put on long sleeves and gloves and do what you need to do.

You need to mark the eggs you want her to hatch. I use a black Sharpie so it is easy to see. Then every day check under her and remove any that don't belong. You don't want her to collect so many she can't cover them all. If that happens some eggs get pushed out, cool off, and the chick dies. Then that egg gets pushed back under her, another egg gets pushed out and that chick dies. You usually get very poor hatches if this happens.

Also you don't want a staggered hatch. If the eggs start incubation at different times some hatch a lot earlier than others. The hen has to choose between taking the first ones to hatch off of the nest to find food and water and abandoning the unhatched eggs or letting the first to hatch starve to death or die of thirst. She practically always chooses the hatched chicks. Staggered hatches are highly stressful.

Will they all hatch?

I have no idea.

Do they need to be separated if they do hatch?

Some people let the broody hens raise the chicks with the flock, some people separate them form the flock. There is no right way or wrong way, just different ways people do it.

What happens if she’s sitting on unfertilized eggs?

They don't hatch. She will probably break herself from being broody but generally after she has used up all her stored energy. If they are not fertilized it's much better to break her instead of letting her just sit there.

So what are your options?

1. Candle the eggs, mark the ones that are developing, and put them back under her. Then check under her every day to remove any that don't belong.

2. Break her from being broody and toss those eggs.

3. Get fertile eggs, maybe from a neighbor, and start them all at the same time after tossing those eggs.

4. If you can't manage a broody hen and want chicks, get an incubator.

 

[3KillerBs]

Most broody hens weren't that bad but some would peck hard. I'd check anyway. When you need to do something you need to do it. Besides, I wasn't going to tell my Dad I was afraid of a hen. I did not have long sleeves or gloves. So put on long sleeves and gloves and do what you need to do.

I have a hen who bites viciously when broody. I've learned to control her head by gently grasping the feathers at the back of her neck while I rummage under her for eggs (being sure to "pick her pockets" by reaching up under her wings to get any she might be holding there).