Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BarnGoddess01]

i have a silkie hen that has never been broody and she will lay a egg every other day and lay it in the nest box and then go out the hen house and does not sit on the egg is there any way i can make her broody

"Broody" is truly an act of nature. Only way I know to force it is to buy an incubator and hatch them yourself!!

 

[Silkie Chicken]

do you think she will ever go broody

 

[Glasshen]

Jak, I have had chicks fall out of a nest box and one died. If it were me, I would secure the nest box so that nothing can fall out, until the hatch is over. Then I would move the whole bunch, bedding, chicks and hen to a safe area, like a dog crate so everyone can see each other, but there is protection from the overly curious or envious other hens.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Jak, I have had chicks fall out of a nest box and one died. If it were me, I would secure the nest box so that nothing can fall out, until the hatch is over. Then I would move the whole bunch, bedding, chicks and hen to a safe area, like a dog crate so everyone can see each other, but there is protection from the overly curious or envious other hens.

Good advise!

 

[CarolJ]

Not to push the subject, but I didnt get a response from my last post.

I am unsure if I should move my broodies inside or not when the time comes to hatch. They are in the upstairs part of the coop and I am worried about the babies falling down the ramp to get food, and I am also worried that the other girls who are still laying their eggs in that nest will squish them or something (even though I put out 2 other nests for them to lay in).

Whens the last possible moment for me to move them? Hatch day is Tuesday/Wednesday.

I moved my broody just a couple days before hatch day. I had her separated from the flock, but then I worried about her integrating back into the flock. So I set up a large wire dog crate inside the coop, picked up her nest box - with her and the eggs in it - and put it in the dog crate. I put food and water in the crate. Within a day or two the eggs started hatching. It worked out great. The chicks are running all over the coop now - and they're just a couple days old.

 

[Tripp16]

Okay great idea. Hope the hatch goes real good. Any particular breed?

Yes they are Barred Bantams. Like Mini barred rocks. The hens will be the same size as Gracie just barred. I cant wait!

This is what they will look like full grown.

 

[Tripp16]

do you think she will ever go broody

What you need to do is leave her eggs in the nest. She will build a clutch up and this will entise her to go broody. Or if you dont want to waste leaving the eggs take the eggs and replace them with ceramic eggs, ping pong balls, golf balls. Anything resembling an egg. They may never go broody but I had a Barred rock who laid a clutch of 20 eggs before going broody. Talk about a looooong wait!

Since she is a silkie, Im sure all she needs is a little nudge by you leaving her eggs in the nest. Thats what they do in the wild. They dont lay one egg and start sitting then there would be hardly any chickens because not every egg hatches. They lay multiple then when they hit a certain amount BAM their broody and theres no stopping them..

I have bantam hen thats broody not she lay 8 to 10 eggs and then one day Ill come out shes on the nest screechin and squawkin.

 

[Silkie Chicken]

thanks for the help and if i let her eggs clutch up doo i just leave them i the nest and will she try to set on them when she becomes broody or lays a clutch of her on when she is broody

 

[Johnn]

do you start counting down 21 days on the day you put eggs under a hen? or the day after?

 

[lclough1998]

the next day, after 24 hours would be day 1