How to get hens to brood & do I separate them?

[Mrs. K]

My first broody was a breed that was never suppose to go broody, and I have had several hatchery BO's and a few BA's go broody. I think it is in the whims of the Gods.

 

[centrarchid]

I have just setup two breeding pairs of American Games, more will be setup as either pairs or groups of up 6 hens with a rooster. At least one nest per hen is placed in relatively dark portions of pens. The feed is also important with more emphasis on quality relative to other times of the year. As a base mixture I use roughly 2 parts layer pellets (16% crude protein) to 1 part starter feed plus a few other goodies for carotenoids. I also slip the birds some live eats to keep them calm and interested in me.

Pullets are more inclined to produce too many eggs before going broody. Hens get down to business quicker and are more reliable than young pullets when it comes to incubation. I also like to pull rooster from pen by time hen goes broody to reduce stress. In the groups of multiple hens, the hatch rate per hen tends to be lower. Free-range and with larger pens, the rooster is not a concern and can even be an asset.

The multiple hen setups I move into pull hen and clutch as a given clutch starts to pip to reduce negative interactions between broody hens.

 

[aart]

I have just setup two breeding pairs of American Games, more will be setup as either pairs or groups of up 6 hens with a rooster. At least one nest per hen is placed in relatively dark portions of pens.

What's your success rate with the hens going broody?
Are the birds you use proven good broody hens?

 

[centrarchid]

What's your success rate with the hens going broody?
Are the birds you use proven good broody hens?

Better than 90% placed in a breeding pen will be broody within 28 days. About a third in a given year are pullets without prior experience. Most clutches, also better than 90% give at least some hatch. I like to average between 8 and 10 chicks at hatch and 6 chicks as least surviving through weaning (5 weeks post-hatch).

Generally, even the younger pullets are competent mothers. Where age matters most is in how it impacts mothers rank and ability to repel adult chickens. Older mothers sometimes better about keeping chicks dry and keeping brood safe at night.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I have hatchery chickens and have had 2 broody hens. First was an Easter Egger (that I named broody!!) that started laying and immediately went broody on me. I let her hatch her chicks, but out of 6 eggs, 2 were not fertile, 2 hatched at night and couldn't get out of the shell and died, 2 were hatched alive. That was last summer. Now I have a Buff Orpington that is broody. Her name is Maggie and I have given her an Easter Egger egg, a Delaware egg and one of her own. She's been setting for 11 days now on them. The weather is horrible, it's been raining for 6 days straight and caring for the flock is no fun. Flooding is happening all over Northern California. We are in the hills so we are ok, but the mud is a problem. Sorry, I got a little off track there.
This is Maggie.

 

[Mrs. K]

the longest 21 days ever!

 

[Mrs. K]

so Centrachid - you are saying, that by separating them from the flock, and feeding them a special diet, with dark nests, you can get them to go broody. Could you post a picture?
When you say one nest per hen, don't they all lay in the same nest? I have four nests, all in a dark coop, and my hens are notional, they will all lay in one or two nests, ignoring a nest right beside it, same size, same shape.

I would like to see how you set this up.

Mrs K

 

[centrarchid]

so Centrachid - you are saying, that by separating them from the flock, and feeding them a special diet, with dark nests, you can get them to go broody. Could you post a picture?
When you say one nest per hen, don't they all lay in the same nest? I have four nests, all in a dark coop, and my hens are notional, they will all lay in one or two nests, ignoring a nest right beside it, same size, same shape.

I would like to see how you set this up.

Mrs K

I will post pictures tomorrow. Setup does not promote broodiness, rather it reduces odds of events that disrupt broodiness.

The games are better at using their respective nests, American Dominiques are terrible about piling eggs all into one nest so that approach not used with them. To control mother side with American Dominiques only one hen per pen.

They are fed a richer diet. The diet does not matter with first clutch but does reduce time required to come back into lay later in season after rearing a batch of chicks.

There are time when knowing ID of female parent just as important as knowing male side.

 

[centrarchid]

First 3 images of 10 x 10 dog kennel I use for multiple hens / pullets. I have 5 such pens. The images from 2 years ago I think. Three nest were up and one was low. I had four hens where 3 went broody in a timely manner. Fourth hen lost first clutch in low nest to a Black Rat Snake. Her re-nesting had her alone when she used the elevated nest.

I have four pens like the one below with a pair in each. The are 4' x 4' and about 2.5' tall. Nest boxes currently are 5 gallon buckets rather than the animal carrier. I also use a different nest box but not finding pictures.