how long can a hen be broody safely

[Lumley Farm]

I've had hens for about three years now, and have had broodiness every now and again. The same two this time and it's been about a week. I've felt their crops before night time and they are mostly water. I pick them up and shoo them out of the nest for feeding twice a day. I take the eggs out as the others lay also. So, I' going back to the 72 hour rule of separating them (together this first time) and hopefully they get over this.
So my question is this: should I just let mother nature go through this? or did I make the right decision to separate them and get out of routine? I've been worried about them not eating and or drinking enough. Thanks in advance for any input or advice. PS I live in central Florida where it has been dry for us and average about 85 degrees other than this cold front yesterday. drier air and very cool mornings.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've been worried about them not eating and or drinking enough.

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. I've butchered enough pullets, hens, cockerels, and roosters that this amount of fat is obvious. This fat is mostly what a hen lives off of while broody. That way she can stay on the nest a lot instead of needing to find food and water. I've had a broody hen come off of the nest twice a day and stay off of the nest for over an hour each time. I had a broody come off of the nest every morning and stay off for fifteen minutes. I've had several broody hens that I never saw off of the nest at all but I knew they were coming off as they were not pooping in the nest. They all hatched chicks. Broody hens have been doing this for thousands of years based on their instincts and with no help from humans. I try to leave my broody hens alone.

If a broody is living mostly off of that fat then the fat is not going to pass through her crop. Unless she has just been off of her nest to eat, drink, poop, and maybe take a dust bath her crop should be empty.

I have no problem removing a broody once a day at the end of the day to check to see if another hen has laid an egg in that nest so I can remove any new ones. If I remove a broody hen and put her on the coop floor she tends to stay there a few seconds, then she either runs off to eat and drink or runs back to the nest.

People do all kinds of unnecessary things with broody hens and chickens in general. Most of them don't really hurt anything, they are just unnecessary.

 

[Lumley Farm]

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. I've butchered enough pullets, hens, cockerels, and roosters that this amount of fat is obvious. This fat is mostly what a hen lives off of while broody. That way she can stay on the nest a lot instead of needing to find food and water. I've had a broody hen come off of the nest twice a day and stay off of the nest for over an hour each time. I had a broody come off of the nest every morning and stay off for fifteen minutes. I've had several broody hens that I never saw off of the nest at all but I knew they were coming off as they were not pooping in the nest. They all hatched chicks. Broody hens have been doing this for thousands of years based on their instincts and with no help from humans. I try to leave my broody hens alone.

If a broody is living mostly off of that fat then the fat is not going to pass through her crop. Unless she has just been off of her nest to eat, drink, poop, and maybe take a dust bath her crop should be empty.

I have no problem removing a broody once a day at the end of the day to check to see if another hen has laid an egg in that nest so I can remove any new ones. If I remove a broody hen and put her on the coop floor she tends to stay there a few seconds, then she either runs off to eat and drink or runs back to the nest.

People do all kinds of unnecessary things with broody hens and chickens in general. Most of them don't really hurt anything, they are just unnecessary.

I really appreciate your response. I'll just leave them alone and let them be next time. Didn't know about the fat storage. interesting. Nature has a plan for everything.....!

 

[Ponypoor]

I've had hens for about three years now, and have had broodiness every now and again. The same two this time and it's been about a week. I've felt their crops before night time and they are mostly water. I pick them up and shoo them out of the nest for feeding twice a day. I take the eggs out as the others lay also. So, I' going back to the 72 hour rule of separating them (together this first time) and hopefully they get over this.
So my question is this: should I just let mother nature go through this? or did I make the right decision to separate them and get out of routine? I've been worried about them not eating and or drinking enough. Thanks in advance for any input or advice. PS I live in central Florida where it has been dry for us and average about 85 degrees other than this cold front yesterday. drier air and very cool mornings.

I let my gals do their broody thing, but I take them off the nest and bring them outside to eat, drink and poop. I also remove all eggs / golf balls . They usually go about 2-3 weeks, but I have had a few go 6 weeks.

This year my 4 yr old gal who never had been broody, decided she was going to hatch her golf balls, after 4 weeks she stopped eating, and drinking and became very lethargic. Her comb start shrivelling and falling over, in a panic I bought 4 day-old pullets and shoved them under her.

The change was dramatic, she perked up started eating, tidbitting feed to the chicks, and has turned out to be an awesome mama, and her comb plumped up and is now almost upright again

If she goes broody next year I will give her a couple more pullets to raise.

Sophia’s four chickies sleeping in my lap, Sophia wishing she was also sleeping in my lap

They will be 4 weeks on Monday.

 

[Rwilson49]

I've had hens for about three years now, and have had broodiness every now and again. The same two this time and it's been about a week. I've felt their crops before night time and they are mostly water. I pick them up and shoo them out of the nest for feeding twice a day. I take the eggs out as the others lay also. So, I' going back to the 72 hour rule of separating them (together this first time) and hopefully they get over this.
So my question is this: should I just let mother nature go through this? or did I make the right decision to separate them and get out of routine? I've been worried about them not eating and or drinking enough. Thanks in advance for any input or advice. PS I live in central Florida where it has been dry for us and average about 85 degrees other than this cold front yesterday. drier air and very cool mornings.

I’m too in FL and have two broody silkies. First time chicken owner. One lays egg but does not sit on it. I take it so my other chicks don’t eat it. I hand feed them both egg with crumble in it and the I set them out and closed the coop door. Going to leave them out until it starts raining. Not sure with what to do. My daughter says to just keep kicking them out the coop. She raises lots of chicks for years.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’m too in FL and have two broody silkies. First time chicken owner. One lays egg but does not sit on it.

A little confused. So you mention a bird that lays but doesn't sit - you're not including that one as a broody right? There's 2 others that are broody? How many birds total?

Not sure with what to do. My daughter says to just keep kicking them out the coop. She raises lots of chicks for years.

Set up a breaker, easier on you, easier on the birds in the long run: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[Rwilson49]

I only have the two silkies. Both are acting broody but only one has started laying eggs and leaves them and won’t use a nesting box. She lays thin on the floor in a corner, the other silkie has not started laying yet But she is getting over a respiratory issue and is 7 months so probably that has delayed her egg laying. If I get some fertilized eggs from my daughter. What do I do? Do I put them under the hens myself?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I only have the two silkies. Both are acting broody but only one has started laying eggs and leaves them and won’t use a nesting box. She lays thin on the floor in a corner, the other silkie has not started laying yet But she is getting over a respiratory issue and is 7 months so probably that has delayed her egg laying.

Unusual for a bird to go broody before laying. Are you sure she's broody and not just hiding in the nest instead, for example?

The one that leaves the eggs isn't broody. Maybe thinking about it if she shows other signs, but if she isn't wanting to stay on the eggs she isn't ready to hatch.

If I get some fertilized eggs from my daughter. What do I do? Do I put them under the hens myself?

Yes, once you have confirmed the hen is sitting well - usual recommendation is to wait 3 days and make sure she is sitting in the nest/brooding location consistently before putting fertile eggs under her.

 

[Rwilson49]

Well, I pick up three fertized eggs from my daughter and Miss Lula is sitting on them. We will see what happens.

 

[Rwilson49]

Well, she rejected them so she’s not ready but I have to force her out of the coop