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

[Ursuline Chick]

I have a broody now. I don't want chicks at this time of year, but don't want to punish the broody just because she is hormonal. So I will just let her sit it out.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I look forward to having a broody hen I think my Golden Laced Wyandotte is going to be the one and I couldn’t be more excited. She took over the integration of our Pullets when they were 11 weeks old and being added to the free ranging flock. I thought for a long time we were going to just have 2 flocks! One lead by the 2 roosters and the laying Pullets and one led by our Wyandotte! However they have all integrated now and I feel in spring we’re going to be able to hatch out some babies with her. she will be kept with the flock to integrate her babies when she sees fit.

 

[Ascholten]

Ahh I got you. Yep I did miss something. Wow, never had one get that snotty with me. id slap the taste off her lips if she did. They just grumble and hunker down more when you try to get the eggs in my case. If she's broody ill work my hand up under her and do a push plop off the nest into the main area then grab the eggs. If it persists then they get snatched right up off those eggs right out of the nesting box and plopped into a gulag cage and get to spend a few days outside the main pen area in their own little cell. THey also get to watch the other birds free range and have fun while they are locked up too. Come night time, they get locked in the shed, in their cage, covered up so nothing can get to them, but again, no fun for you. The broodiness typically breaks in a few days. Normally 3 or 4 dumps out of the nest, with a night time dump or two and they get the idea.

To be honest I only have 2 out of the 4 who go broody. One can be persistent the other, typically one good yelling at and plop and she's done The persistent one, she'll even sit up there when there are no eggs, waiting for the rest to lay to snatch them.

Maybe one day I'll rent a rooster for half an hour, and let one broody actually raise a family, but currently... not on the agenda

Aaron

 

[HomesteaderWife]

We once had a small group of chickens and Khaki ducks. Our ducks would never offer to brood their eggs, but our one and only hen to ever go broody got the mind and began to pick a spot. We relocated her into a safe area and gave her a group of duck eggs, and she actually hatched them for us!

 

[Aunt Angus]

For those who let their hens brood but have no roosters, how do you do it? This is the second time my Cuckoo Maran went broody. The first time I put her in broody jail and it was a success but my mom let my aunt borrow the cage so I have no immediate way to break her. I was thinking of letting her break herself this time. What days typically will they break themselves and how many days in will be considered bad? (i.e. she's starving, aching, etc). We live in FL so thankfully, it's getting warmer around 60-70 F around this time.

I will try and take her off the nest a few times but I have work and school and I can't rely on my parents to help. I collect the eggs everyday but I leave duds in there to prevent nesting box wars and I'd hate to take those out too but if I have to I will (at the cost of the girls screaming their heads off).

I have no plans of hatching new chicks so giving her fertile eggs is out of the question.

I have a rooster, but there is no breeding happening because I collect eggs 2x daily. But it depends on the broody. I have two who manage it just fine (eat, drink, dust bathe as needed) and usually quit after a few days. I have others who will kill themselves rather than get off the nest. For the really tough ones, I do broody jail for 2-3 days. One really stubborn Brahma ended up in my bathroom. Ice packs work for some. I wouldn't let mine go more than a couple of days. I find the longer you let it go unchecked, the harder it is to break them.

My FAVE thing to do is have them foster chicks! I'll pick up 2 or 3 from a feed store and put them under her at night.

 

[GingerRose]

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!

View attachment 3068120
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Beautiful mama.

 

[WallyG74]

I chose break them, which is what I currently do. As soon as I free up a good place to separate from the flock I’ll give them some eggs and let them brood.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

If I don't want more chicks (rarely) I leave them in the nest without eggs and take them out a few times a day.
If not, I give them eggs, but they stay in the flock

 

[arwoon]

I would be happy to let any of pur girls hatch chicks, but we don't have a rooster. So when one of mine goes broody, I take her out of the box every day and collect the eggs.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

Get them a therapist View attachment 2905051

Are they both claiming one clutch of eggs!??

Poor chicken wrangler dealing with that one!