I got my first broody!

[mrsmaonaigh]

I'm completely ecstatic right now. She is one of my best layers but I'm ok with that. I need to get some eggs under her though. Any suggestions on how to do this without losing a finger? Night time? If she has one egg under her is it safe to put more or will it mess up the incubation period of the other egg? Sorry for the 100 questions. I'm seriously giddy. Its ok to yell at me

I think I might have another possible broody too but I don't know what she is doing. She has been in the nesting box all day, fluffing up but no egg. She does run away when we open the nesting boxes but she is a really skittish bird anyway. I guess I'll find out tonight if she is still there. Sorry for the long rambling! Yay!

 

[chicky_mommy]

I need to get some eggs under her though. Any suggestions on how to do this without losing a finger? Night time?

I have often found that the best layer is the one who becomes broody, its their little joke on us.
You can add as many eggs as you like as long as the hatch days are close, ie if you have an egg thats been under her 10 days I wouldn't add more until after the ones there already have hatched and even then i'd only do it if you are going to remove the chicks.
If the second one you talk about does get truely broody she won't run no matter what you do to her, no matter how skittish she normally is, (speaking from experience i had one of the most flighty hens in existance and she tried to defend against my neighbors dobermans 3 of them)...
As for when to get the eggs under her I do not have much advice and some people who have had more broody hens than I may disagree with the way i did things with mine...I personally found that the easiest way to do things was to pull her out (risking a few pecks) and put her into a crate where she coulsn't get back to the eggs untill i had put them in the box...the other way i used to put eggs under a hen was actually put on thick gloves (like i use when i'm cutting wood) and gently put the eggs near her rather than under her, a good broody will pull them in.

 

[mrsmaonaigh]

Thanks for the reply! In my over joy I didn't even think about gloves. Can I get a DUH? So it is ok for me to take tomorrow's eggs and put them under her and they should be fine? I have quite a few layers now so I get plenty of eggs. What is the normal range of eggs that a broody should sit on?

I do think the second one is at least getting there. I went back out there and she is sitting in the box again and puffed up at me. I didn't try to scare her off because I thought that would just be mean. LOL! I'll see how she is doing in the morning. Thanks again!

 

[cybercat]

Right there with you with my first true broody of the year. I added eggs when she got off the nest to eat and drink. That way I did not bother her on the nest.

 

[chicky_mommy]

Like i said you can add eggs when ever, as long as your hatch days are only a few days apart because once the babies start hatchingshe will get off any remaining eggs to tend her chicks, if they are left with her, my grandfather and i used to pull the chicks out so that we could keep the broody hatching.

I've never heard of a broody sitting on more than 14 but i know a standard "clutch" is about 7-9 at a time. of course you could put as many under her as she will sit on.

 

[chickenjones]

I have my first broody too! Actually she was last year but we didn't let her sit because we had like 10 chicks already at the time. THIS TIME we are totally on board. I think there are 10 or 11 eggs under her. My DH is fearless being farm-raised himself and he just sticks them under her. She is normally very flighty and mean so I don't go near her anyway. I was so hoping one of our nices Brahmas would go broody, but not so far. Anyway I tried to approach her once and she lashed out at me, but this was before she was on a firm sit so that is probably why. She looks so weird to me with those dilated zombie chicken eyes and yet so cute with her feathers all fluffed out to cover her nest! They should hatch around the first week of April! Woo hoo! Anyone have any luck getting to touch the chicks once they hatch? I am thinking its doubtful because she is normally mean and won't let you even look at her.

 

[chicky_mommy]

i had a MEAN AS SPIT FIRE hen who quite litterally bullied my sweet little broody almost to death and STOLE her chicks, it was almost 3weeks before i got to touch the babies after the "evil one" stole them...its up to your chicks, if they are bold you will probably get to touch them sooner but beware a mean hen makes a poor mother, they often raise mean chicks.