Is my hen broody or not?

[boykin2010]

I have a silkie mix that seemed to act broody today but since i have never had a broody i am unsure. This morning i went out at 7:30 and checked on the chickens and the hen was sitting on the nest. I reached under her to see if there was any eggs and she pecked me, fluffed up, and growled. about 2:00 i went back out and she was still sitting there so i put on gloves and picked her up and she was sitting on one egg. My ee layed an egg in the box next to her so i picked it up and put it in the box with the supposedly broody hen. She quickly rolled the egg under her fluffed back up and started growling at me. about 6:00 this afternoon i was tired of waiting on her too get up so i put on gloves and picked her up and grabbed 3 eggs ( some other hen layed an egg under her) I put her in the bottom of the coop ( she was pecking me). 30 minutes later i went back out and she was sitting in the box on no eggs. Just a minute ago i went out ( about 9:15 ) and she was still there sitting on no eggs. I have not seen her eat or drink all day she has been sitting on the box all day until i moved her but she just hopped back up there.

Does she seem to act broody to yall. Do broody chickens set on 1 egg? How do you make them quit being broody?

Oh and i should mention that none of my eggs are fertile i dont have a rooster. Should i get some fertile eggs for her?

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Oh yeah! She's broody for sure!!!!!

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if she is broody. Only you can determine whether or not you should get fertile eggs for her. Understand that if you do, roughly 50% of the chicks will be cockerels. You'll have to decide if you are ready to deal with that.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Definetely broody! I have one myself sitting on 2 eggs and 5 chicks that my other broody mama hatch out 2 weeks ago! If you want to add a few to your flock it is the easiest way! Mama has done everything for mine!

Be Careful though......hatching chicks is ADDICTING!!!!

 

[boykin2010]

Well any other time i would LOVE for her to hatch chicks. I have actually been wanting a broody hen. But then i got tired of waiting and got an incubator. It is full of about 30 chicken eggs and 2 turkey eggs. The cockeral part doesnt bother me. I can deal with it and sell them for meat or something.

Does she sound like a good broody? If i know she will take care and hatch the eggs and take care of the chicks i will get fertile eggs but i would hate to get eggs and she decide she doesnt want to be a mother anymore.


Would taking 3 or 4 eggs out of the incubator be okay to do. They are only on their 4th day. I have several bantam eggs and regular sized eggs. Let me know if putting some of the eggs in there from my incubator would work. If yall think it will i may consider letting her hatch some

 

[boykin2010]

i may have thought of a place i can put my broody hen seperate from the group. I have a small cage that i transport chickens in. It is about 4 to 5 feet long, about 1 to 2 feet wide and about 1 to 2 foot tall. The bottom is a wooden board and arched chicken wire over it to create an arched roof. I could put a box with straw in it and put a bowl with chicken feed and a bowl with water.

Does this sound ok to put the broody in or should i leave her in my coop. My concern is if i do get her eggs the dominant hens may make her get up. The little broody is a bantam and although she takes up for herself she doesnt want to mess with my dominant BO and Delaware hens. I only have 3 nesting boxes and the other hens didnt seem to like her sitting on one of the boxes today.

 

[NonnasBabies]

I personally don't let my broodies stay in the coop. I just moved 2 from into grown out coops today. And yes that sounds perfect it put her in. I also don't see any reason that you can't give her eggs from the bator. You'll have to wait till she has her babies if she'll be a good momma or not!!

I would move her at night and put her directly on the eggs that way you don't have the eggs cooling. Mine today took a few hours after moving them before they decided they would sit on the eggs!! They were ticked off at me for taking them out their nests!!

Good luck with whatever you decided to do!!

 

[boykin2010]

I will have to think about it. I think that i will probably give her 5 eggs out of the incubator. She is pretty small so i dont know how many she can fit comfortably. Do i have to move her at night?

 

[boykin2010]

does anybody know for sure or have experience with taking eggs out of the incubator and giving it to a broody? Do i need to move her a night?

 

[boykin2010]

Oh and how many eggs can my bantam hen set on? She is really small. Bigger than a serama but not quite as big as the usual silkie hen.