Is this common with hens?

[PattiS72]

I have had chickens before and never noticed this before. In one coop, I have 1 roo and 7 hens. The hens all are laying. Now I have two broody hens (for the first time). One is sitting on 3 eggs and the other one I have no idea, she won't let me see. But this morning when I was feeding, two hens started fighting. I think of of them is one of the broody hens that was up and eating. I couldn't tell which one started it. The roo would kind of go and stop the fighting. When they started again, one or two of the other hens would go get involved. I was just wondering if this is normal?

 

[Judy]

Yes, they will squabble over eggs, steal other eggs, return to the wrong nest, etc. By the way, you have a roo who knows at least part of his job!

I prefer to separate my broody while she is sitting on eggs, then return her and the chicks to the flock when they hatch. I've done it both ways. I've been fortunate and not had any real fights that I know of, but I saw all the other stuff. I guess if it gets too violent and blood is drawn, you will be forced to isolate at least one of them. Good luck!

 

[PattiS72]

I think one has stolen an egg from one of my EEers. But she wasn't fighting over the eggs..the fights were out by the food. The other broody hen was still on her egg/eggs. I've also noticed the other hens aren't laying as much now. In the 5 days since I've noticed the broody hens, I've only gotten I think 4 eggs. Oh and I can't really separate the broody hens from the others.

 

[aart]

I've seen a cock try to break up a broody hen fight,
I ended up having to break it up...that one and two more.
It was after the broody had hatched and partition wall taken down.
Broody was a lower hen before and didn't back down from the attempt to chase her from the food.

If you can't separate and/or check the eggs...be ready for other broody drama.
Broodies can be great but they often do need to be 'managed'.

 

[Mrs. K]

My broody hen is cranky. Personaly I leave her with the flock, as like the op, it is inconvient to move her, and when I moved the first one, she left my nest and went back to her own.

I think socially, when the broody hen comes out for her daily food and water, and whips a few hens, she is establishing her pecking order. As she is stuck on the nest, they coulld forget about her, and she is reminding them. The layer hens give her a great deal of respect, and this is beneficial when the eggs hatch. They give her and the chicks respectful space.

My broody hen will also be willing to try and take your arm off at the elbow. So I take a bath towel down there. Cover her head with it, putting my hands on each side of her, gently lift her wings, cause they can tuck eggs under them, and lift her out of the nest every 3-4 days. When you place her on the floor, she will still be in the trance, but she usually will shake that off and go get a drink or something to eat. Then you can check the eggs, and get rid of anything not marked.

Good luck, I am a week out from hatching, can hardly wait to see the effect of my new rooster!

Such a fun hobby.

Mrs K

 

[PattiS72]

My broody hen is cranky. Personaly I leave her with the flock, as like the op, it is inconvient to move her, and when I moved the first one, she left my nest and went back to her own.

I think socially, when the broody hen comes out for her daily food and water, and whips a few hens, she is establishing her pecking order. As she is stuck on the nest, they coulld forget about her, and she is reminding them. The layer hens give her a great deal of respect, and this is beneficial when the eggs hatch. They give her and the chicks respectful space.

My broody hen will also be willing to try and take your arm off at the elbow. So I take a bath towel down there. Cover her head with it, putting my hands on each side of her, gently lift her wings, cause they can tuck eggs under them, and lift her out of the nest every 3-4 days. When you place her on the floor, she will still be in the trance, but she usually will shake that off and go get a drink or something to eat. Then you can check the eggs, and get rid of anything not marked.

Good luck, I am a week out from hatching, can hardly wait to see the effect of my new rooster!

Such a fun hobby.

Mrs K

Thank you Mrs K. I forgot about marking the eggs. I might do that now. What should I do with them? Turn them? One of the hens I haven't see off the nest except for when she got out of the box she was in and got on the floor with the second hen, then back up in the box. Not even sure she has eggs.

 

[aart]

Quote: No need to turn them...the broody will take care of that.
Marking them is so you can take any newly laid eggs out of the nest daily.

 

[bobbi-j]

Sorry - just had to get that out of my system. Suffering from some serious broody envy here. You get to have two of them, Mrs. K has chicks ready to hatch, and mine..... they lay their eggs and leave. Every. Single. Day. OK, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Judy, Mrs. K and Aart have covered all the bases. They know their stuff. Enjoy your broodies and the babies when they hatch. It's so much fun watching a mama hen with her chicks. It's amusing to me when they're all snuggled together and the hen will have a chick pop out of her back, chest, under her wing.

 

[Mrs. K]

Ohhhh Bobbi-j, I do know how you feel. We had so many cloudy days, that I was beginning to give up hope. Have you tried this old wives tail?
Put about 6-8 golf balls in a nest, that a broody has liked before. Sometimes a certain number of eggs seems to trigger the idea, "Oh, there is a clutch that looks about the right size, I will go broody!"

If I see any signs, like spending a little more time on the nest, or on the nest in the late part of the day, I put out the balls.

Heres hoping the Gods move in your favor, I am nearly drooling I am so excited for next week to get here. I am hatching out of my new rooster, a German Bielefelder Chicken. He is covering just riff raft hens, but I really like him. He is so good to the girls and fine around me and the grand kids.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Sorry - just had to get that out of my system. Suffering from some serious broody envy here. You get to have two of them, Mrs. K has chicks ready to hatch, and mine..... they lay their eggs and leave. Every. Single. Day. OK, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Judy, Mrs. K and Aart have covered all the bases. They know their stuff. Enjoy your broodies and the babies when they hatch. It's so much fun watching a mama hen with her chicks. It's amusing to me when they're all snuggled together and the hen will have a chick pop out of her back, chest, under her wing.

Awwww...poor bobbi-j

You know they only go broody when you don't really want them too.