How Do I Scoot Broody's Out to Eat Etc.?

[AmericanMom]

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Thanks! Me too

I just made the decision to not isolate the 3 broody's based on chatter on here that it can go either way but that most times they do fine. My other hens and roo seem to be respectful of them and are not pecky or anything with each other, very nice girls

Even when all 8 are in the coop eating or getting roosted for the night, the broody's are quiet and settled. No one else is laying eggs in the occupied nests, so that's good! I guess I'm just trying to intervene the least amount as possible and let them do what is instinctual

That's why I haven't made them get out of their nests because I've read both sides-some have hens who don't leave the nest and end up frail and skin and bones barely able to walk and then others say their experiences are different and then hens do what they need to, I'm hoping the latter is the majority

It is true that a hen doesn't get as much calories or protein in the time she is incubating as she normally would, she isn't out foraging or eating all day, she wolfs down what she can in a limited amount of time. Yes, most lose alittle weight, that's normal.. I have yet to see a hen become skin and bones or be at the point of death for being broody.. Yes, people think their hens are bad off but none will show you pictures of their nearly dead hen...

.. As for the not being able to walk, here is what I have observed. When I allow broody to come and go as she please 9/10 will exit the nest like an exploding gun, franticly scratching, eating and running to the water fountain.. they also are like crazy clucksters in the dusting bath area.. Very very vocal and will not allow any other hen around but will the dominant rooster. One hen I have in particular will run to the coop, gobble up food, vocalizing then run outside for water, back to the coop for more food, out to dust bath and then she will stand outside of coop preening herself, sometimes as long as ten min or so, she then snaps back into broody mode, runs back to food and water then to nest...

As an experiment I worked with my best broody, I can pick her up move her whatever.. I walked out to the coop at different times, I would reach in and just lift her up and set her on the ground.. Broody would not stand, looked to be having trouble getting feet under her... prodded her to walk she took small steps finally heading back to her box.. Next day same thing, day three I opened her box up and walked away, allowed her to choose to come out. She exited the nest without any issues and took off running to feed, water and dust bathe. My conclusion after watching this hen and many others is that when you are taking them out of the nest they haven't had time to snap out of broody trance, its like if you walked into some ones bedroom and just lifted someone from their bed while they were in a deep sleep, it would take them awhile to get oriented and most (me included) would crawl back in bed Now this isn't always the case, I have one broody that if I so much as look at her she will fly from the nest, most don't but some do..
Chickens have been hatching eggs for centuries, its ingrained in their DNA on how to do it. Its the human species that messes things up in our thinking that we need to control and know more than some dumb chicken and they just simply cannot survive without our help..

 

[scflock]

This is just my experience, and I'm not saying that it is the gospel, it's just what works for me. I am extremely hands off with my broodies. If I find one sitting I just leave her. I don't move the food and water, I don't even check to see how many eggs. I'm not saying it's right, but it's how I've always done it. I've never had one starve or thirst to death, and I've never had more than 2 unhatched eggs left in the nest. I will often catch them off the nest very early in the mornings, and they scoot away as soon as they see me. Just like Fentress said, it's instinct

 

[MesMama]

 It is true that a hen doesn't get as much calories or protein in the time she is incubating as she normally would, she isn't out foraging or eating all day, she wolfs down what she can in a limited amount of time. Yes, most lose alittle weight, that's normal.. I have yet to see a hen become skin and bones or be at the point of death for being broody.. Yes, people think their hens are bad off but none will show you pictures of their nearly dead hen...  .. As for the not being able to walk, here is what I have observed.  When I allow broody to come and go as she please 9/10 will exit the nest like an exploding gun, franticly scratching, eating and running to the water fountain.. they also are like crazy clucksters in the dusting bath area.. Very very vocal and will not allow any other hen around but will the dominant rooster.  One hen I have in particular will run to the coop, gobble up food, vocalizing then run outside for water, back to the coop for more food, out to dust bath and then she will stand outside of coop preening herself, sometimes as long as ten min or so, she then snaps back into broody mode, runs back to food and water then to nest...

As an experiment I worked with my best broody, I can pick her up move her whatever.. I walked out to the coop at different times,  I would reach in and just lift her up and set her on the ground.. Broody would not stand, looked to be having trouble getting feet under her...  prodded her to walk she took small steps finally heading back to her box..   Next day same thing, day three I opened her box up and walked away, allowed her to choose to come out. She exited the nest without any issues and took off running to feed, water and dust bathe.   My conclusion after watching this hen and many others is that when you are taking them out of the nest they haven't had time to snap out of broody trance, its like if you walked into some ones bedroom and just lifted someone from their bed while they were in a deep sleep, it would take them awhile to get oriented and most (me included) would crawl back in bed  Now this isn't always the case, I have one broody that if I so much as look at her she will fly from the nest, most don't but some do..
 Chickens have been hatching eggs for centuries, its ingrained in their DNA on how to do it. Its the human species that messes things up in our thinking that we need to control and know more than some dumb chicken and they just simply cannot survive without our help..

Thank you SO much! This is really helpful! I never thought about the whole broody/trance thing and forcing them out of their best, that's excellent insight and makes total sense! I think I will leave them be

 

[AmericanMom]

Thank you SO much!

This is really helpful! I never thought about the whole broody/trance thing and forcing them out of their best, that's excellent insight and makes total sense! I think I will leave them be

Chances are they are getting up, you just don't see them. I do have a hen that it seemed never got off the nest, I had given her three eggs as she was an untested broody, one day I finally caught her off and much to my dismay she had indeed fouled the nest, I grabbed a paper towel and wiped them off, cleaned up the nesting material and put everything back. Eggs were green so no help candling in the coop. Despite my above post I did worry that those eggs were gonners, she never was an every day off the nest hen as far as I could tell.. Saturday I told DH if I didn't see some action by Monday I would slip some incubator chicks under her, much to my amazement Sunday night when I went to close the broodys back up she had three little chicks sitting in front of her..
SHE knew what she was doing, she made a few mishaps being a first timer but she hatched all three of those eggs

And to think, I didn't think they would make it and I have been doing this for a few years

 

[scflock]

Nothing better than coming home from work to find this

 

[AmericanMom]

Chances are they are getting up, you just don't see them. I do have a hen that it seemed never got off the nest, I had given her three eggs as she was an untested broody, one day I finally caught her off and much to my dismay she had indeed fouled the nest, I grabbed a paper towel and wiped them off, cleaned up the nesting material and put everything back. Eggs were green so no help candling in the coop. Despite my above post I did worry that those eggs were gonners, she never was an every day off the nest hen as far as I could tell.. Saturday I told DH if I didn't see some action by Monday I would slip some incubator chicks under her, much to my amazement Sunday night when I went to close the broodys back up she had three little chicks sitting in front of her..
SHE knew what she was doing, she made a few mishaps being a first timer but she hatched all three of those eggs

And to think, I didn't think they would make it and I have been doing this for a few years

On edit... Not only does she have the three chicks she hatched, I was so proud of her I gave her four more that hatched in the incubator the same day.. She now is a proud momma to 7 chicks, she hadn't as of this morning left the coop yet, she is very protective and wont let them outside yet.. Again, I will leave her to make that decision when she is ready.

 

[AmericanMom]

Nothing better than coming home from work to find this

Awww... that's so sweet!!! Love to see this

 

[MesMama]

On edit... Not only does she have the three chicks she hatched, I was so proud of her I gave her four more that hatched in the incubator the same day.. She now is a proud momma to 7 chicks, she hadn't as of this morning left the coop yet, she is very protective and wont let them outside yet.. Again, I will leave her to make that decision when she is ready.

Awww what a good mama! And I think that line of thinking is wise, to let her decide

 

[MesMama]

Nothing better than coming home from work to find this

So cute!!!

 

[AmericanMom]

Awww what a good mama! And I think that line of thinking is wise, to let her decide

I'll try and get out there and take photo's of all the broodys with babies.. I did notice My Molted Java (my most trusted broody) had left her chicks this morning, they are about 5 weeks which is her limit, she was checking out the nesting boxes and then went to her guy and squatted for him.. She will be laying again soon..
Being that she is my best I had actually given her 8 turkey eggs, she sat those and I sat Chicken eggs in the incubator to hatch at the same time. When the hatches were complete I took the turkeys from her and gave her the chicken chicks... She didn't fuss at all.