Official BYC Poll: What Do You Do With Broody Hens?

[Farmgirl1878]

I shoved five chilly, peeping, day-old Brahmas, right under her smokin’ hot fanny in the middle of the night… No more broody bootie!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Some of my Wyandottes get broody but not for long.

Ok sorry, but I gotta blab about Chanel because I just love her so much!
Chanel is my broody mama, she will practically camp out in the nestbox this time of year. When I collect eggs 2x a day, I gently pick her up & take her out of the nest box, to make her come outside to eat fresh chickweed, drink water & take a dust bath, in the pen. She never even growls or pecks at me, she knows I love her. Whenever I do get chicks, or hatch eggs, she gets to be mama & she is truly a wonderful surrogate mama! I kinda rescued her, at an auction, no one wanted the "old lady" looking hen. That was abt 6 yrs ago, so no clue how old she really is. Doesn't matter, I love her so much! She was so frightened at that auction. When I 1st held her & pet her, talking softly, she looked up, stared right into my eyes & relaxed. She snuggles on my lap easily. I think she is a Buff Brahma mix. A Sweetheart Hen!

 

[MadamContrary]

So far my method is to just gently prod them until they get off of the nest, as many times a day as needed. Usually by day three they give up trying to sit. If they persist I put frozen eggs in the nest box, and rotate them out to keep them cold. Then if that doesn't work I'll wet the hen's belly area and close the coop off during the day.

Edited to add, my layers do not have a mature rooster, so no fertilized eggs just yet. I am looking forward to seeing my girls raise some chicks in the spring!

 

[NewBoots]

I love broody mamas and their babies! I keep them till they kick the O2 and they get to hatch babies whenever the heck they feel like it. All of my broodies are also the quirkiest and sweetest of my flock.
View attachment 2904929

That is the sweetest picture!

Break means to break them out of the brood and that's usually done by putting the hen in a restricted area where she can't make herself a comfy nest that keeps her belly warm and toasty. I put mine in a large dog crate inside the covered run so she can see the other hens and they can see her and she has food and fresh water but with a hard floor so no nesting. It takes from a few days to a week depending on her determination.

 

[6BeachChicks]

Well, mine puff up in the nest after they lay an egg, then they go broody. They did it every single day in the summer, but I’ve never had one stay in the nest overnight. They get off the nest really fast if I bring treats. Maybe if they get dedicated then I will put some chicks under them. Oh, and tiny will take care of anyone, even her sister who is bigger then her. It was hot in the coop, that’s why Tillie was panting.

We have no rooster.

 

[DaisyG2317]

This year was my first time with a broody. I have 4 Isa Browns so I was a little surprised. I relented after 3 weeks of her constantly sitting and gave her 4 day olds from my local farm store.

Mama is at the bottom of pecking order and long story short one of her babies was killed by my other hens. We ended up moving her and the remaining babies to another coop.

One of her babies also turned out to be a Sapphire Gem rooster

 

[_Moon_]

I let them wing it, lol.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

A hen goes broody because she wants to sit on a nest and hatch chicks. During that time the hen can be very protective, growl, peck, and your sweetest hen could turn into a meany. The hen will get a clutch of eggs and sit on them even if they are not her own.

So what do you do with broody hens? Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

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Further Reading:

• Signs you have a broody hen
• Guide to Letting Broody Hens Hatch and Raise Chicks
• Broody Hens Vs. Incubators The Pros And Cons

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

I have a broody who will only sit on turkey eggs IDK why. She refuses her own eggs, pushes them out of the nest.
She also seems to have memory problems.

 

[PioneerChicks]

If I'm in a position for chicks, I let them brood. I separated my first broody but don't anymore, so long as the other chickens don't knock over the chick waterers and cause more work for me.

If I have to break them, I use a few different methods depending on the situation. I typically take the eggs away and kick them off the nest several times a day. In more severe cases I use the broody box (pen or cage with open-wire bottom to get air under the hen).

 

[All4Eggz]

If I have to break them, I use a few different methods depending on the situation. I typically take the eggs away and kick them off the nest several times a day. In more severe cases I use the broody box (pen or cage with open-wire bottom to get air under the hen).

Same methods I use. First I keep kicking her off the nest, taking the eggs away. If that doesn't work, she goes straight to the broody cage.