My BCM hen just went broody!

[NorCalChicks101]

I got 3 straight run BCM chicks from TSC this last March and ended up with 2 roos and one hen. The hen just decided to go broody! She currently has 5 eggs under her (1 of which is hers, 3 easter eggers and 1 olive egger.) Do BCM hens go broody often and do they make good mothers ?

This is my first attempted hatch using a broody or otherwise.

Any tips on if I should separate her or lock her in the nest box so the other birds don't bother her? Any pointers are be appreciated!

I will be posting pictures within the next day or two.

 

[Criticalicious]

BCM go broody as often as other breeds, except silkies and bantams who are perpetual mommas. Right now in my flock of BCM, only 1 in 5 has gone broody. She was the only one to have a hard molt last winter (they are 18 months old). Tried breaking her for 2 weeks and she would not give up so I gave her some eggs. Today she has 3 new babies and is valiantly waiting for a 4th. She seems to be an incredibly good mama, picking up and breaking up food and showing her babies to eat. Others may chime in with different experiences. Each hen is different.

 

[NorCalChicks101]

BCM go broody as often as other breeds, except silkies and bantams who are perpetual mommas. Right now in my flock of BCM, only 1 in 5 has gone broody. She was the only one to have a hard molt last winter (they are 18 months old). Tried breaking her for 2 weeks and she would not give up so I gave her some eggs. Today she has 3 new babies and is valiantly waiting for a 4th. She seems to be an incredibly good mama, picking up and breaking up food and showing her babies to eat. Others may chime in with different experiences. Each hen is different.

Very cool! Mine just started laying last month and her going broody is such a surprise for me. She isn't mean either! She let me mark her eggs with a sharpie today and only gave me a feather ruffle, stick eyes and one little growl. Now when the other hens come up to try and lay in that box she gets VERY upset and vocal with them.

She's def not high on the pecking order and i'm thinking that maybe I should block off the nest box with her in it and provide food and water inside and let her out once a day to poop? Id hate to try and move her and accidently break her broodiness.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I would consider a higher than average number of Marans go broody. Of my hatchery birds I've had 1/5 BC and 1/3 Splash Marans go broody. Then from non hatchery stock 3/5 hens went broody. They go broody so much I toyed with switching to a different breed! But I just love them too much to do that. They're the best! Enjoy your hen.

Personally I'd take my chances and move her to a better spot. Totally your call. Make sure to label the eggs to make sure other egg aren't added.

 

[Criticalicious]

I left my broody on the nest in the coop with everybody else through incubation and did my best to make sure nobody snuck extra eggs in there. I screwed up the first day and the other clods broke one of the eggs, but maybe the shell wasn't hard enough because the others survived just fine. The only major issue I had with her, was that sometimes she'd get up from the nest to eat, poop, dust bathe and then she would decide to return to the wrong nest. Then I had to either move HER or the EGGS (she had 4 boxes to pick from).

Yesterday when one of the eggs pipped I moved her and the eggs into a dog crate inside the coop so they can be alone until babies can walk better. I'm debating whether to move them indoors or let her stay with the flock. She is second in the pecking order and she is fierce, so I am not worried about her protecting the babies. But I am going out of town next week and my husband will be caring for the chickens in my absence. Who knows what could go wrong. Also a few weeks ago we had a bout of coccidia and if the babies developed that while I'm gone, that would be awful.

 

[NorCalChicks101]

I would consider a higher than average number of Marans go broody. Of my hatchery birds I've had 1/5 BC and 1/3 Splash Marans go broody. Then from non hatchery stock 3/5 hens went broody. They go broody so much I toyed with switching to a different breed! But I just love them too much to do that. They're the best! Enjoy your hen.

Personally I'd take my chances and move her to a better spot. Totally your call. Make sure to label the eggs to make sure other egg aren't added.

When moving her how do you suggest doing it, wana avoid her abandoning as much as possible. I was figuring doing it at night would be ideal.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

When moving her how do you suggest doing it, wana avoid her abandoning as much as possible. I was figuring doing it at night would be ideal.

Yup. You got it. Do it after dark and hope for the best. I don't think I've had a broody break yet. Regardless of how much I handled eggs or moved them around. I give them a few days to claim the nest and show me they mean business. I'm ok with 1-2 hens broody at a time. More than that it starts getting crazy and hard to keep track of.

 

[Criticalicious]

I did it during the day, but this girl is dedicated like a pitbull. She didn't care if I replaced her eggs with fake ones - she was going to hatch those babies no matter what! Now that she has babies she is soooo happy.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I did it during the day, but this girl is dedicated like a pitbull. She didn't care if I replaced her eggs with fake ones - she was going to hatch those babies no matter what! Now that she has babies she is soooo happy.

What an excellent Mama hen! That's the kind I like too. You can't shake a good one loose (off the nest).

 

[Criticalicious]

I will say that she's taking care of 3 babies and today on Day 2 seemed torn between caring for the live babies or sitting on the one egg. So I brought it indoors, candled it (seems good) and locked it down in the incubator as a hail mary. My husband swears he saw the egg twitch inside the bater but there's no signs of pipping yet. Here's hoping that it hatches and that if it does, that mommy will take care of a 4th.