I have a broody! Just set 8 Welsummer eggs.

[gumpsgirl]

She is one of my Buff Orp. girls that I hatched out from hinkjc (Jody) last July. She's been broody for the last week, week and a half and I've been working on collecting some of my Welsummer eggs to put under her.

I made her a broody nest and set 8 eggs in it yesterday evening. Once everyone had settled in for the night and gone to bed, I moved her onto the nest I made. So far so good! She been sitting on the eggs all day and hasn't got off! With any luck I'll have some Wellie chicks in 21 days!

 

[FarmerDenise]

I have a broody hen right now also. She was sitting on 7 eggs, but someone broke one of the eggs, so now she is on 6. After loosing that egg, I put her in a pet carrier, so I could keep her and the eggs safe from predators. Ours should hatch the monday after easter. I can hardly wait.
Take good care of your broody. They tend to sit on the eggs all the time. Make sure she gets off once in the morning to go poo and to eat and drink. And again in the evening. I also put a cup of water and a dish of food in the nest with her. They can be off the nest for about an hour. I have lost broody hens in the past, because they don't take good care of themselves. My broody hen gets all the good worms I come across, while I'm weeding the garden.
Happy hen watching!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Thank you for the advice! This is my first broody, so I will take all the advice I can get.

She is in an area that is closed off, so nobody can disturb her, and she does have food and water in with her so it sounds like I'm doing good with her so far!

 

[shortcake1806]

Good luck Stacy. Our broody just hatched out 10 little guys. It's so much easier than the bator.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I agree, a broody hen is way easier than an incubator. Although I've never used an incubator. It is also so much fun to watch the momma with her chicks once they hatch. She talks to them for a couple of days before they hatch and they "talk" to her. It is amazing how many chicks a momma can fit in and under her.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Thanks Tracey!

I sure am hoping it's easier! I have been a nervous wreck so far though!

 

[okiehen]

I just re set my broody with 8 welsummer eggs so if my girl stays with it we will be hatching at the same time.

way to go broodys

 

[FarmerDenise]

The biggest problem I have come across, is rats stealing the eggs and chicks. I will be bringing my broody hen and her chicks in the house for a while, once they are hatched. I've lost too many newly hatched chicks out in the hen house.
Once we found a day old chick all the way in the chicken yard. One of the other hens was protecting it. She was bloodied up too, so she must have fought off what ever tried to steal the chick. It must have been carried there by something, because the way into the hen yard requires a good jump up in order to get to the door to the outside. Not to mention getting across from the nest box area on the other side of the hen house, would require the day old chick to walk across a roost consisting of a branch.
The protector hen got some extra yummy treat for her reward.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
How cool! Yours is on 8 Wellie eggs too!