Odd Broody Hen

[bobbi-j]

If you could move her to an area separated from the flock, but with enough room for her to get up on her own and eat, drink and poop, that would be good since she can't seem to find her way back to her eggs on her own. Are you watching her 24/7? She may get up on her own to do her thing when you're not watching. Broodies like to be secretive, getting off the nest when they think no one is looking. I'm pretty hands off with my broodies. I have never had one starve herself while setting.

 

[MotherHen75]

My Buff Orpington is always separated from the rest of the flock because they will pick on her until she's bloody. Been like that for years. She's seven years old now and permanently separated, but in the same coop and face to face so they always see eachother. A month ago, she laid an egg and wouldn't get off it. No clucking, not puffed up, just sitting for hours. I took her egg and put four fertile eggs under her and she took them right away. Within two days she discarded two of the eggs and sat on the other two for 21 days. She got up every few hours to eat and drink and relieve herself outside her nest and returned quickly. She rolled the eggs, talked to them and was very attentive, but never did the broody dance. After 25 days, I took the eggs away and she abandoned the nest. She has raised two clutches in the past. I think when Hens get older they aren't as intuitive and don't act the same.

Aw. I'm glad shes better now and got to raise her babies.

In my flock, Rachel is about 2nd in the hen pecking order. Shes sweet and I think she will make a great mama. I also think my rooster will help protect the chicks, hes a good roo and takes good care of his girls.

We got a new coup, its bigger, the other one was getting a bit cramped. I didn't move Rachel i figured she'd like her own space, so now we have two coups. I'm not sure what to do with the chicks when they hatch though. Our situation is weird, in the new coup the nesting boxes are easy to get to, but in the old coup they have to jump to just flap their wings to get in them. The chicks could fall out of the new coup since the actual roost is on top of the run. But in the old coup they cant get out of the nesting box or get back in. This is stressful.

 

[wild chick]

I have a 10 x 20 modified dog run attached to my coop where the egg nests and roosts are. I added wire + roof + dog house-nest + 1/2" mesh on the bottom + sand + shade cloth and now it's perfect for a broody nest (sometimes a rooster jail). Since the free-range flock comes and goes, they see momma & chicks for a week before I let them out. It's 10 feet x 5 feet - the coop is on the other end, leaving the run 15 x 10 for the rest of the chickens.

 

[bobbi-j]

Aw. I'm glad shes better now and got to raise her babies.

In my flock, Rachel is about 2nd in the hen pecking order. Shes sweet and I think she will make a great mama. I also think my rooster will help protect the chicks, hes a good roo and takes good care of his girls.

We got a new coup, its bigger, the other one was getting a bit cramped. I didn't move Rachel i figured she'd like her own space, so now we have two coups. I'm not sure what to do with the chicks when they hatch though. Our situation is weird, in the new coup the nesting boxes are easy to get to, but in the old coup they have to jump to just flap their wings to get in them. The chicks could fall out of the new coup since the actual roost is on top of the run. But in the old coup they cant get out of the nesting box or get back in. This is stressful.

Maybe let her hatch in the nesting box, then move her and the hicks to the floor. I have done this many times. If the eggs are all set at the same time, all the chicks that are going to hatch should hatch within 24 hours. When they’re done hatching, move them. Mama will follow.