Is this common with hens?

[tcstoehr]

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.

I've got the opposite problem, and trust me, it is a problem. Four out of my five hens are broody with no end in sight. I didn't realize that I needed a separate nest box for each and every hen.

 

[PattiS72]

Yeah, we have tried 2-3 times to have them sit, didn't work. Then we tried 3 times to incubate, because we didn't think the hens would go broody. Now two are. I did use a towel to move them to check for eggs and mark them....they each have 3 and I believe they both have an EE egg (neither of them are EE).

 

[PattiS72]

Also, if these eggs hatch out, should I leave them with the mom? Or remove them until they are older?

 

[aart]

Also, if these eggs hatch out, should I leave them with the mom? Or remove them until they are older?

Leave them with the mama.....that's the best part about broodies!

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, leave them with the mamma, and she will protect them from the others, and within days, the whole flock will accept the babies. It works wonderfully. One of the thing that I do, is place a smaller pallet on a single layer of cement blocks. This is high enough that the chicks can run under it, and over it, but a full grown hen cannot easily. A lot of time I sprinkle food down under it, so I am sure that the babies are getting enough.

Also, after setting for 21 days, the nest is less than fresh and some of the eggs might not hatch. Anyway, my broody has always left the elevated nest and created a new nest on the floor of the coop. So before they hatch, I make sure there is fresh bedding on the floor for her. And another trick is when the chicks are about 4 weeks old, I place a wide board at the level of the roosts. And within days, she will have those chicks up there. They can still snuggle next to mamma for several more weeks.

A week and counting.

 

[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?

I noticed another fight this evening. One of the broodies came out to eat and a couple of the other hens went after her. Especially one of my EE, (I call her Oreo--cause she's black and white). The roo also went after her. I think she wanted to eat and drink but they were chasing her back into the nest house. Now I'm wondering if I should find a way to separate the two broodies. But I don't really have a place. I do have the brooder hubby made. Right now it's in a spare room (is supposed to be a master bathroom if we ever can do it). But it has wheels...wonder if that would be a good place?

 

[bobbi-j]

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!"

I am hatching out of my new rooster, a German Bielefelder Chicken.
.

Mrs K

Looking for golf balls..... I googled your rooster breed - beautiful! Where did you find him? There will be pictures?

Awwww...poor bobbi-j

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

*don't want a broody don't want a broody don't want a broody.....* (Think they'll believe me?)

I've got the opposite problem, and trust me, it is a problem. Four out of my five hens are broody with no end in sight. I didn't realize that I needed a separate nest box for each and every hen.

I wish I closer, I'd be happy to take one of those birds off your hands.

I noticed another fight this evening. One of the broodies came out to eat and a couple of the other hens went after her. Especially one of my EE, (I call her Oreo--cause she's black and white). The roo also went after her. I think she wanted to eat and drink but they were chasing her back into the nest house. Now I'm wondering if I should find a way to separate the two broodies. But I don't really have a place. I do have the brooder hubby made. Right now it's in a spare room (is supposed to be a master bathroom if we ever can do it). But it has wheels...wonder if that would be a good place?

I would not put chickens in my house. Not for more than a day or so to treat a sick or wounded one. They are stinky and dusty. Maybe some pics of your setup and we could try to help you figure something out?

 

[donrae]

My broodies also go around and terrorize the rest of the flock on their daily constitutional. I think it's a combo of hormonal frustration (they just SET there, day in and day out! I'd go outta my mind!!!) and maintaining their place in the pecking order. If you've got enough space, leave the chicks with momma and she'll take care of protecting them. My flock usually gives a new hatch a peck or two and that's it. I do set up a sheltered place for them to eat, that's a good idea cause older hens can chase them off of the food.

My hens don't squabble much anymore, it's a pretty stable flock, but when they do my rooster is right there to make sure things don't get out of control. I recently had a hen get into the neighbor's yard and I couldn't get her before the neighbor's dogs did. They didn't really hurt her, but she was kinda shocky so I kept her separate, just for a day. When I put her back, another hen decided to challenge her, and she was having none of it....they flew at each other like roosters sparring. My rooster was quite distressed and started body blocking the instigator. Finally she gave up, he mated both hens and everyone seemed fine

 

[aart]

Quote: Nah, they won't......I should have said 'when it's most inconvenient', like middle of winter or heat wave of summer........

....... My rooster was quite distressed and started body blocking the instigator. Finally she gave up, he mated both hens and everyone seemed fine

Now, now, girls there's enough of this to go around...LOL

 

[bobbi-j]

Nah, they won't......I should have said 'when it's most inconvenient', like middle of winter or heat wave of summer........

DRAT!