(Let Broody Hen Do It All) Experiances Please

[schrephouse]

Broody hens were around long before incubators. We have had always let the hen take care of it and had no real problems. Did use the incubator in the past when folks wanted chicks or to replace the non producing older hens. Biggest problem is for the hens if the little buggers manage to slip through the fencing and the hen goes bananas till we let her out, then all is well. Chickens are for your enjoyment and relaxation not stress you out as tight as a piano wire. Have confidence and experiment.

That's exactly what I want. To not be a piano wire yet again. I'm already a hot mess worried about my 2 legged and running my small farm. Planting and maintaining a small crop. Add weeks of rearing and integrating chicks. I'd really love to sit on the back patio comfortable that my flock can manage themselves. I have 5 acres for free ranging, so there should be enough space. All I need to do is add some places for chicks to hide in the run.

 

[schrephouse]

I have had (2 now)many broodies. I have left them in the flock, but more often I give them a cage inside of the coop. When left where others can access the nest the daily pushing from hens who want to lay in the nest has shook eggs enough to stop development. I had a low ranking hen setting and another hen wanted the nest. 4 out 5 eggs a day away from hatch were destroyed. I have had less problems with this with higher ranking hens. My current method is place broody in crate. Let her out or take her out every morning. If she returns to the old nest pick her up up and return to the crate and shut the door. If she returns to the crate (usually takes about 3 days) and the hen has a high flock ranking I stop shutting the door of the crate. If I think the hen ranks lower I continue shutting the door and letting the broody out every morning. With a smaller flock and plenty of nest boxes moving the broody might not be needed, but with 30 plus hens and only 6 actual nest boxes this is what has worked for me.

I can understand your method. I only have 7 hens and 5 nest boxes. I still see that she let's someone lay in her box. I have removed a few unwanted eggs from it already. She seems determined so on mothers day we should have chicks if all goes well. Moving her is still up in the air for me.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Only 4 days into Broody sitting. Today I go down to check and Her sister is in the nest with her. They look exactly the same. I gently removed 1 and began gently removing the other and felt her underside bare so I left her thinking she is our Broody. But......sister just stood there all fluffed up in front of the box. I thew out scratch and she didn't budge. After few more minutes I decided to put her in the next box over that had a few eggs from today in it. Sure enough she hunkered down and hasn't moved. I think I now have 2 broodys. So now it's Broody 1 and Broody 2.

 

[schrephouse]

Definitely 2 broodys now.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: I still have 2 broody hens. X Box and O Box (how I marked their eggs), I like to call them Hugs and Kisses. Kisses is scheduled to hatch in 2 days (Mothers Day). Hugs isn't until 4 days later. Now that time has come I'm getting nervous about deciding to let them handle it ALL. Ive since learned I could have restarted when Hugs went broody so they would hatch at the same time. I'll store that advise for next time. I'm trying not to get so worried and let the chips fall where they may. I've heard great success stories and some fearful stories like Hugs leaving her eggs when Kisses's begin to hatch and tryingto steal Kisses chicks. How the heck do they do this on their own?

 

[Perris]

They have been doing it on their own for millions of years! Try to make their lives easier not harder when you intervene.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Kisses did it, WE HAVE CHICKS!Of 9 egg clutch, I count 7 so far. Came 1 day early. She is still in nest box sitting on whats left. So far Broody Hugs is not bothered and sitting as normal. Fingers crossed the coming days are perfect.

 

[Shadrach]

I have always let broody hens get on with the job. They sat and hatched in my house, in their coops, in other tribes coops, in the maternity units I built and occasionally in the wild.
I have limited the number of eggs in their clutch and I have moved them from in the wild nests to maternity units when I thought the nest sites were unsafe.
I mark the eggs and remove any donations from other hens usually. I've had double and triple sits; not usually an overall success because some viable eggs have been left in the mums eagerness to get the chicks out and mobile.
I don't confine them: they need to get off the nest and out for excercise, eat, drink and dust bath and I do provide food when they get off the nest to make sure they eat properly.
The getting off the nest and out and about is the one thing that needs keeping an eye on, some do it automatically, some need to be lifted out until they get the idea.
I try to keep the sitting and hatching to the more senior hens. Usually each tribe has an established senior broody hen and these are the hens one wants to sit and hatch if possible. There are far fewer problems, particulalry where integration into the tribe is concerned.
I will I hope, never use an incubator, but there again I don't care if they hatch less than the number of fertile eggs they originally sat on.
Of course, one needs a rooster and hens that go broody to make a proper job of it and I've been fortunate in ahving plenty of both and the space to let them do what they do best.

 

[schrephouse]

Curious as well, I have a first-time broody sitting. I added two laundry basket nest boxes for the flock, and she’s been ornery so they’ve avoided her spot. I’m going hands-off, whatever will be will be. Although I do pick her up every mornjng and put her outside to eat. She stretches, eats, and heads right back in for the rest of the day.

How has your broody faired so far? Do you have baby chicks yet? How are things going?

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Momma has brought them off the nest. She hatched all 9 eggs. 100% is phenomenal.

2nd Broody aka Hugs is showing a little interest in the chicks on the floor. (Peeking out at them watching) Before chicks got on the floor we found couple chicks climbed in with her. She was fine with them saying hi but I hope it doesn't trigger her Momma Hen vs Broody instinct. She still has a few more days for her clutch. She is still on the clutch.