how does this broody thing work??

[Hennyhandler]

I was wondering if I get a breed that is known to go broody and she does end up becoming broody and she is the only one who is broody after she has the chicks will the other chickens try to hurt the chicks that she has? ANd if they do will she protect them?

Oh, and I can put eggs under her and only do the amount that I want and she should be fine with that right?

(I have never done the broody thing. I had one that tried but she didn't go through with it so I am full of questions. Sorry about that.)

 

[gritsar]

I protected my broody while she was setting by putting her in a large dog crate, with enough room for her nest, food and water and room to move around (to poop away from her nest, since a broody doesn't want to soil her nest). I would open her crate once a day to allow her the chance to join the other birds outside if she chose to; most days she didn't.
Once the chicks hatched, I continued to keep the crate locked for about 4 days. After that, I opened it when the other birds were out so mama could bring the chicks out and introduce them to their home. Now at 3 weeks old, they are with the flock full time - yes, mama does a good job of protecting them from the other birds, but then again the other birds pretty much ignore them. They free range with the rest of the flock, but mama keeps them pretty close to the coop.
With my next broody, I won't bother locking her up in her crate. I will just mark her eggs in case any of the other hens try to add to her clutch and remove the extra eggs (if any) daily.
The broodies know what they're doing.
ETA: I did have a chick attacked by a meat bird in the coop when the chicks were just a few days old. Meat birds are "different". I have since re-located the meaties and all is well in the coop.

 

[Pinky]

If the hen's broody instincts are strong, she will try to fight anything that is a threat to her chicks. My chickens, even the roosters, know better to try and come between an broody hen and her chicks.

 

[Lisa202]

Gritsar,

I have a chicken that has been sitting on these 2 eggs for 14 days now (one is definitely good) The other chickens always have to lay in her nest box which causes her to sometimes move, her eggs to sometimes end up in the middle of the coop and so on. Since it's the last week and I read that you're not supposed to touch them after the 18th day, I put up a cage around her to keep the others out. They just wouldn't leave her alone and I didn't want to risk anything. It gives her access to 2 nest boxes and a 20" x 20" space to get out of the nest box and poop and eat. (she's a bantam EE)

My plan was to put her and the just hatched chick in an adjoining coop (the others could see them there) so that the chick wouldn't be pecked at. I wasn't sure how long I was going to leave them in there. Should I do this only if I see aggression from the other chickens towards the chick? Or...leave them both in the small caged area for 4 days and then try again?

Sorry to hijack your post Hennyhandler, but it's all good info. I'm new at this also.

 

[Hennyhandler]

I don't mind at all, Lisa202. The more asked the more learned. I am just as curious as you are since I don't really have a seperate area anymore to place them I want to know if it is recomended that they be seperated a little bit.

I also was wondering if you have to put something around her to keep her seperate. Is this more of a precaution or recommendation?

 

[snowflake]

I have a couple tractors in addition the the big main coop, I like to keep the mama and nest separate in the tractor.. The other hens constantly lay in her nest and she gladly accepts all the eggs they offer . Trouble is they then would hatch at different times and late ones do not hatch well because mama is off watching the ones already running around. If they are in a separate area, it is less stressful on the mama. as my other hens come over to check things out or to check their food and mama goes nuts. no one gets near her young ones. that said my hens may be over protective? My tractor's have an 8ft run so the others can come around and check things out with out mama going on the defense. I let them free range together after about 2 weeks and they seem to do fine. Mama can take them to the big coop or the tractor and she always choses the tractor. in most cases she takes them back to the big coop at about 2 months. My last broody only had 1 baby and at 3 mo. was still in the tractor. I think she would have stayed that way a lot longer but it was getting very cold and snowing( the tractors are hard to lift and service when they are snow covered. ) so I forced the issue. Her babe turned out to be a rooster, it took a long time for him to be accepted, Many people leave them with the main group all the time. what ever works for you. also depends on the temperament of your group of chickens. It really is a lot of fun to watch them teach them all the chicken stuff. The young are more shy of humans them those you raise your self but in time they get used to you

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I spent alot of time out in the coop making sure everything was going okay the first few days mama had her chicks out. I still check on them more than I do the rest of the flock, but really the chicks have fit in seamlessly with the flock. Just as I did when my chickens were small and free ranging for the first time - lots and lots of supervision at first, with less as they got older and proved to me that they knew how to take care of themselves.
I do think it's a good idea to keep mom and babies seperate for at least the first 4 or 5 days or so. This gives mama hen time to get comfortable in her new role. Observe them alot. Chances are mama will prove to you that she knows what she's doing.

My mama hen is still taking the babies back to their nest every night to sleep, but during the day they are out running around having a blast, being chickens.

 

[Hennyhandler]

If she started to go broody can you move her to another area and her continue? Can she stay out in the run in a makeshift area since the weather will be good and she is protected by the enclosed run? The reason I ask is because the nest boxes in the coop would be too high for the chicks and the area in there couldn't be divided correctly if I was to block her off from the others for awhile.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I moved my hen from the nestbox she started sitting in to the crate that I could lock after about her 4th day of setting. I left her in the original nestbox just long enough to be sure she was serious, then moved her at night. You could leave her in a nestbox until right before the chicks are due to hatch and then move her to lower ground, but then you run the risk that she will freak and give up. I would definitely NOT leave her in the run, if there's even a chance that predators can get close to it. Broody hens seem to be in a sort of trance at times. It would be too easy for a predator to sneak up on them and snatch em.

 

[ozarkhen]

Sure like the idea of marking the eggs in the brood! As for my hens; I had a brooder last October but that is just the wrong time for chicks. I just took her off the nest and gathered the eggs much to her chagrin!!! She'd peck the fire out of me if I didn't move her by her tail. She eventually got out of the mood. Now, hopefully; one or two will get in the mood! Got a good hen nest with new straw. We'll see!!!

One roo, 8 hens, a dog and three cats!