Newbie dealing with brooding hens

[ChicksforZ]

Have 2 brooding hens on on for the 4th day the other just started third day but she has been off for more then 12 hours. As a newbie and not thinking I wanted little chicks can anyone give me some guidelines?

 

[ejtrout31]

Hi @ChicksforZ

If the hen has gave up on sitting on eggs a good reason is she was moved or bothered.

You said its been 12 hours. How often have you checked the hen?

Have you moved the hen to look at the eggs, completely relocated her or in any other way bothered her?

If you can answer my questions i can help you with the next step.

~ Ellie

 

[bobbi-j]

If you don’t want them to hatch chicks, take the eggs away and break their broodiness (sounds like one is already broken). You can do this several ways. Keep taking them off the nest until they give up, block off the nest (unless it’s a nest box they use), or put them in a “broody buster”. @aart has great pics and experience with the broody buster.

 

[ejtrout31]

If you don’t want them to hatch chicks, take the eggs away and break their broodiness (sounds like one is already broken). You can do this several ways. Keep taking them off the nest until they give up, block off the nest (unless it’s a nest box they use), or put them in a “broody buster”. @aart has great pics and experience with the broody buster.

As a newbie and not thinking I wanted little chicks can anyone give me some guidelines?

They want the eggs to hatch @bobbi-j

 

[bobbi-j]

As a newbie and not thinking I wanted little chicks can anyone give me some guidelines?

Sorry - I must have misunderstood this last part of the post.

OP, if you want them to hatch chicks, don’t fuss with them. Make sure they have access to food and water (but have to get off the nest to reach them), and are able to get off the nest as they please to poop, dust bathe and stretch their legs. If they’re setting where other hens have access to their nest, mark the eggs you want them to hatch, and once a day collect any extras. You can do this while the broody is off the nest on her own, or quickly and gently lift her with one hand, just enough to see and grab extra eggs.

 

[ejtrout31]

Sorry - I must have misunderstood this last part of the post.

Its fine i do it all the time

 

[aart]

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
-Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
-Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
-Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.