How to tell when a hen goes broody?

[lhowland]

Quote:
Oh dear here is my inexperience showing. How do you tell if they are heritage stock? I got the girls from a farm store. Thank you!

 

[crossgirl]

I've got three habitually broody hens. I raised them from chicks so they were handled a lot and when they go broody I pick them up and love on them. Since they're used to this, when I finally let them have eggs to hatch on their third round of broodiness they were very good about letting me stick my hand under the skirts to remove imposter eggs and to take them out to candle. Now that the chicks are here they mind, but don't attack, when I handle their babies. They let me know they don't care for it but haven't pecked and the growling is very low.

If you dont' want to trigger any old fowl fears, after you give your broody a clutch of eggs, simply leave her alone. Don't mess with her. She'll have no reason to growl or peck and you'll eventually have new chicks. Broodys are awesome!!

Here are six out of seven that hatched between two broodys between Christmas day and yesterday!

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Oh dear here is my inexperience showing. How do you tell if they are heritage stock? I got the girls from a farm store. Thank you!

Heritage stock comes from a breeder. Your local farm store would carry hatchery stock. My barred rock seems to me like she would be a wonderful mom, but I am not letting her try yet.

The hens often will go broody if in the right environment, and are good mothers.

Also great layers of large brown eggs and will sometimes become broody and be great mothers.​

 

[lhowland]

Oh thank you!! Yes, I don't want to go back to being afraid. I am just nervous about the hen being grouchy when I go into the coop or near her. I haven't conquered my fear of their feet or wattles, so as of right now I have NO plans to put my hand under them or have the possiblity to get pecked. I can feed them out of my hand but only for a few minutes. My girls are very friendly and don't mind being petted or picked up either.

 

[SouthernBYChickens]

Quote:
I would love to know what breed is that hen in the picture with the white body, black neckline area, and rusty colored head. That looks like a beautiful hen. Thanks!!

 

[Chickadee55]

I was wondering if my hen hatches any eggs, will I need to separate them from the rest of the flock? I have one hen that is acting broody but all six of them have stopped laying right now. Hopefully they will start back soon.

 

[growinupinfl]

Barred rocks DO go broody. Especially if they are heritage stock

I am at the belief now anything can go broody LOL. We currently have an Old English Game Bantam Broody, and a Bantam Barred Rock, we have had a HATCHERY brown leghorn go broody and boy was she ever MEAN! Hatched out 6 eggs, not much of a momma though afterward. We had one OEGB that hatched and raised some standards it was soooo funny they were bigger than her in a short amount of time and she was still trying to sit on them. Luckily it was in the middle of the summer when night time temps were in the 90's. I think my silkies live on a nest and communal parent, of course the cochins like to go broody a lot. But anything can go broody it is a natural instinct and if you let them live fairly naturally instincts will kick in.

The best way I have found to tell if one is truly broody or just deciding she wants to sit in peace for a while and lay her egg is going out to the coup at night. If they are still on those eggs and sounding like a velociraptor after the sun is down, she is broody. Either let her sit or throw her off the nest. I will normally let mine sit. I might decide they only get three eggs instead of the 8 they horded but I have issues going against mommy instinct, maybe that is my own mommy instinct.

Christal​

 

[aoxa]

I had a polish x ss hamburg that went broody only a month after starting to lay! Neither are ever supposed to go broody. I thought she was dying LOL

 

[debid]

Quote:
Absolutely NOT. Sometimes a hen prone to broodiness will be inspired to mother by the sound of chicks peeping but I don't think that happens very often. A hen not feeling motherly can attack and kill a chick rather quickly. But, if you have a broody and either don't have fertile eggs to set or simply want a different breed, you can try chick adoption. It's generally done by letting her sit on dummy eggs for a couple of weeks and then slip the chicks under her after dark. You then want to be close when the sun rises to intervene and save the chicks if she doesn't accept them. It's best to be prepared to brood them to juvenile size whenever you buy chicks.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Absolutely NOT. Sometimes a hen prone to broodiness will be inspired to mother by the sound of chicks peeping but I don't think that happens very often. A hen not feeling motherly can attack and kill a chick rather quickly. But, if you have a broody and either don't have fertile eggs to set or simply want a different breed, you can try chick adoption. It's generally done by letting her sit on dummy eggs for a couple of weeks and then slip the chicks under her after dark. You then want to be close when the sun rises to intervene and save the chicks if she doesn't accept them. It's best to be prepared to brood them to juvenile size whenever you buy chicks.

Even some broody hens will kill them