Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Need some imput please. I thought my little black cornish was going broody about a week ago but never really did stick on the nest. But now this morning when I went out at about 6:45am to check on some new little chicks in a carrier in the chicken house I happen to go and look at the cornish's nest and there she was. I don't know if she sat all night or not --but at 11am she was still there. She left the nest about 12 noon and hasn't been back on it today. She has 9 eggs in her nest.

Do you think she might be getting ready to go broody? She did not lay an egg today. I have guinea eggs waiting for her to really be broody and I will swap the eggs. What is everyone's opinion?? Guess I will know in a few days whether she is or not but want your imput.

Another question please --- she is kinda low on the pecking order -- being the only bantam I have and other hens are using her nest too--- What is the best way to keep the others out of her nest?

I have not had a broody before so need your help!

Once you know for a fact she is serious that means she hasn't come off the nest in a whole 24 hrs. then I'd give her another day before moving her to a safer nest site, wait till you move her to give her the eggs you want her to sit on that way if the other girls are laying in her nest box it won't matter. you can use a large dog kennel even i have and so have others they work real well for broody space and you can keep her in the coop that way. Move her at night after everyone has gone to roost. put a blanket or towel over the crate or what ever you have to put her in for the night so she'll settle down. Put food and water in with her. I usually don't let my broodys out till they have been in their new nest for a couple days so they are good and settled. even then sometimes I have to go and get them because they will sometimes go back to the original nest box. When they start to go broody they play at it for a couple days before getting serious so sounds like she is getting ready. All the best for your first experience and keep us updated on all the happening.

 

[Tripp16]

Yes. Do it at night in the dark with little light. Put a wash towel over her eyes and do it fast. does it have to be oral? Could you put it in bread for her to eat?

Well its liquid. I has to be given oral unless Im going to use a needle.....

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well its liquid. I has to be given oral unless Im going to use a needle..... :/

You could try squirting it into the bread and feeding it to her? Or just wait until dark, put the wash cloth over her head and cover her eyes then gently tuck her under your arm with her head sticking out and squirt the stuff into her beak without putting it down her windpipe. Hope it works out.

Oh and I would make sure I did it off the nest so she doesn't go crazy on the nest and smoosh any babies.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Once you know for a fact she is serious that means she hasn't come off the nest in a whole 24 hrs. then I'd give her another day before moving her to a safer nest site, wait till you move her to give her the eggs you want her to sit on that way if the other girls are laying in her nest box it won't matter. you can use a large dog kennel even i have and so have others they work real well for broody space and you can keep her in the coop that way. Move her at night after everyone has gone to roost. put a blanket or towel over the crate or what ever you have to put her in for the night so she'll settle down. Put food and water in with her. I usually don't let my broodys out till they have been in their new nest for a couple days so they are good and settled. even then sometimes I have to go and get them because they will sometimes go back to the original nest box. When they start to go broody they play at it for a couple days before getting serious so sounds like she is getting ready. All the best for your first experience and keep us updated on all the happening.  

Xs2

Also my Topsy was the lowest on the pecking order and she would get kicked out and smooshed sometimes when she was still in the nest boxes. The thing that made me decide to move her was that an egg got broken. Those were infertile eggs, but I didn't want to give her good eggs there and have them broken. So I tried several times to move her during the day without success. What finally worked was a night move.

I made the new nest area with some of her old nesting material and waited until dusk. I put a hand towel over her head and moved her with her unfertilized eggs to the new nest where it was pretty dark. I closed her up for the night. The next day she was still sitting. When I switched her eggs for fertile ones I did it after she was down during the day taking a break (eating & pooping).

She's the happy momma to two soon to be 2 week old silkie babies and no longer the lowest in the pecking order.

 

[prairie]

thanks MissLydia and Bobbieschicks! She is not on the nest tonight -- moved to the roost. guess I will see in the next few days what she is going to do. We do have an extra large dog kennel and I had thought of using that. I think I will get it into the chicken house and get it ready and close it up -- then all the hens and guineas will be use to it. I've got about 10 guinea eggs -- is that too many for a Cornish Bantam?

I will let you know what happens with little Cornie!

 

[Zinnia-Hen]

Well, I have some bad news. One of my chicks was hatched with a messed up foot and he's been having a hard time getting around lately. I have to feed and water him by hand, and by now he should have been walking fine. He's now getting lethargic. I don't know how long he's going to make it.

Thankfully the older chick is healthy.

 

[bobbieschicks]

thanks MissLydia and Bobbieschicks!  She is not on the nest tonight -- moved to the roost.  guess I will see in the next few days what she is going to do.  We do have an extra large dog kennel and I had thought of using that.  I think I will get it into the chicken house and get it ready and close it up -- then all the hens and guineas will be use to it.  I've got about 10 guinea eggs -- is that too many for a Cornish Bantam?

 
I will let you know what happens with little Cornie! 

She's probably close though. Smokey was broodies the late winter and hatched a clutch. Then in the spring she started doing the same things yours is doing. Lingering in the nest box, staying on the eggs after she laid them and acting like she wanted to be broody again. It wasn't long before she stayed on the nest all night and stopped laying. I call them broody after two nights in the nest box and off the roost, but only once they stop laying. So yours sounds close.

Smokey is a small EE Araucana and she sat on 8 LF the first time, she hatched three. I don't think that 10 guinea size eggs would be too much for a bantam.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well, I have some bad news. One of my chicks was hatched with a messed up foot and he's been having a hard time getting around lately. I have to feed and water him by hand, and by now he should have been walking fine. He's now getting lethargic. I don't know how long he's going to make it.

Thankfully the older chick is healthy.

Oh no that's too bad. Can you splint the foot or tape it to help? If he's lethargic he probably could use a dose of baby vitamins like poly sol without the iron to help perk him up.

 

[stonykill]

thanks MissLydia and Bobbieschicks! She is not on the nest tonight -- moved to the roost. guess I will see in the next few days what she is going to do. We do have an extra large dog kennel and I had thought of using that. I think I will get it into the chicken house and get it ready and close it up -- then all the hens and guineas will be use to it. I've got about 10 guinea eggs -- is that too many for a Cornish Bantam?

I will let you know what happens with little Cornie!

many 1st time broody's act as you describe. I have 1 doing that now and have had many over the last few years do the same. others just make up their mind and sit.

I'm not sure how large guinnea eggs are. My Sumatra's can comfortably sit on 12 of their medium sized eggs. And they weigh 3 to 4 lbs if that helps.

 

[Tripp16]

Ok guys! I need help!

I just sold Henriettas chicks, the lady is picking them up tomorrow! I dont think I can do it! She loves those chicks! I am letting her keep one hen but is that enough? Will she still freak out?

I feel terrible! But I cannot keep them until their 5 weeks old then no one will want them because they will know their gender.... Ugh its so hard....