ode to the broody

[Fanny]

I agree with everything Sunny Side Up said (I learned the hard way) - but also, when it comes time for the chicks to start hatching, you don't want the early hatchers to be mixing with the rest of the hens (who may peck them to death) while the momma hen is still sitting on the nest waiting for the rest of the eggs to hatch and can't protect the chicks.

Separate her now if you can. You won't regret it. A rubbermaid bin within a dog crate works. If she's broody she won't need a ton of space.

Good luck!

 

[Debo's Chickens]

oooh, this thread makes me sad because I have a hen who (I'm pretty sure) has gone broody & I have to look for info on how (or if) I should try to break her of it. But really, I'd love to let her hatch some chicks! I'm just pretty maxed out w/ my accommodations & the city's limit.

<--- me pouting

 

[math ace]

Ohhhhhhh, I am so MAXed out of space to - - - but this is being done in the nature of science.

(I have to tell my DH this or he would have a fit.

Did I mentioin DH is already having a fit? ?

)

I am trying to figure out if my rooster is getting the job done. It just doesn't seem like it to us.

Also, I am trying to see if the hen will make a good broody - - you know - - go the WHOLE 21 days .
Lastly, I want a dry run to experience the egg hatching experience BEFORE I get some SPECIAL eggs ordered.

DH is still trying to appreciate the scientific importance of this experiment.

 

[NewEnglandChick]

Debo's Chickens :

oooh, this thread makes me sad because I have a hen who (I'm pretty sure) has gone broody & I have to look for info on how (or if) I should try to break her of it. But really, I'd love to let her hatch some chicks! I'm just pretty maxed out w/ my accommodations & the city's limit.

<--- me pouting

Maybe you could arrange for someone to buy your chicks once they hatch? That way you still get to sell the "eggs" and she still gets to do her thing and you don't end up with more chickens....well....maybe one or two if you kept just a couple new ones for yourself!

 

[Debo's Chickens]

Quote:
Maybe you could arrange for someone to buy your chicks once they hatch? That way you still get to sell the "eggs" and she still gets to do her thing and you don't end up with more chickens....well....maybe one or two if you kept just a couple new ones for yourself!

yeah, that's a temptation I'm not likely to overcome! LOL. I'll have to save the chick hatching experimentation until I get my farm.

<---- pouting more. LOL.

 

[math ace]

I not planning on keep most of these chicks. I will sell them at our local market. I have a couple of roosters to get rid of then too.
One is the EE daddy of these eggs. The other is a BCM roo that I don't like as well as another one that I have.

I am not looking to get rich, just want to narrow down my stock and make some extra chicken food money.

 

[neuchicontheblock]

I have 2 broddies that sit in the same box (and sometimes a third). It has been three weeks plus a few days and nuthin'. should I remove these eggs and stick a few new ones under her? I know my Americauna Roo is doing it right as I got 4 chicks when a friend put them in an incubator, but I want to get it done the "au Nateral" way at least once.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Take what I am going to say with a grain of salt - - - since I am the OP and this is my first broody hen - - - - but you may have issues with your hens.

If the rooster is doing his thing, then the hens must not be doing their thing. They may not be spending enough time on the box, they may not be turning the eggs, etc.

I would give it a week more days - - -crack the eggs open and see what kinda of developement was made - - - and then toss the eggs.
I would not give them anymore eggs. I would give the hens a break for a while before trying again.

2 hens sitting in the same box during the same broody period is not a good thing. . . . . They need to have their own boxes and hatch their own eggs. Clearly, at least one of these girls is not doing their job correctly.

OK - - - JUST my thoughts - - -

 

[neuchicontheblock]

Thank you for the info. We will take the eggs this w/end. There are 8 boxes total, and I attempted to move them initially but they went back together, and I didn't want to move them to another coop until the chicks hatched. They threw out the fresh nesting hay that I had put in there and insisted on laying on bare wood. Dunno...maybe the incubator is better, but I know if I get into that, I would be over-run with chickens.

 

[phoneman]

mark eggs with a pencil , put eggs under the hen, let her set if the nest is not to large another hen will not go in to lay.just look under her for a couple days and check to be sure no more eggs is under her i have 2 blrw setting on eggs now. one has been on hers for two weeks and the other has been setting on hers for one week.