Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Nike]

My eggs were supposed to hach tuesday adn they still haven't I had ten of them!

 

[Flowerbh]

Question: I am going to be taking some of my 2 week old chicks away from my broody to try to sell. What should I expect from the broody. Will she be devastated? Will she go looking for them? And, if I don't sell them right away, will she take them back?

 

[Johnn]

Question: I am going to be taking some of my 2 week old chicks away from my broody to try to sell. What should I expect from the broody. Will she be devastated? Will she go looking for them? And, if I don't sell them right away, will she take them back?

I definitely don't think she will be happy having them taken away at such a young age. She will probably be upset, look for them and call for them.

 

[3 Chicks]

I had this question, too. When can you take them away without her being upset?

 

[Nike]

For me I was going to wait until she was done raising them. Where I am you can sometimes get more money the older they are.

 

[Sumatra503]

What, so she wont get to keep any after all that hard work?

Got no place for a broody turkey and 10 itty bitty teeny chicks. They would go right through the wire or she would step on them accidentally. I usually put my broody bantams in a rabbit hutch for them to brood, but Henrietta is huge! She is happy just to set on the eggs for me. I really wanted to get some turkey eggs for her, but couldn't find any.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Well I give up. MY broody Jersey Giant decided on day 16 to destroy the eggs we gave her that she was sitting on. I know the eggs were ok and developing, she even destroyed her original egg she started with. We had her in a quiet corner in her nesting box and nothing changed in her life. We left her alone and only came in to check on food and water I am beyond words

.

Could something have gotten into her nest and done this to the eggs? Just had a 3 foot-long black snake come through a 3/4 inch opening between two wooden boards and drop into my brooder.....managed to get it out and kill it.....no casualties, thankfully.

If not a predator, could her size be an issue in terms of crushing the eggs, since she is a Giant?

 

[emmapal]

I have heard game hens are crazy broody: is this true? I am looking to add a broody or two to my flock and trying to decide on which breed for a standard.

 

[Johnn]

I have heard game hens are crazy broody: is this true? I am looking to add a broody or two to my flock and trying to decide on which breed for a standard.

I am not sure about all game hens but Old English Game Bantams go broody and make really good mothers! They are very feisty!

 

[Johnn]

I had this question, too. When can you take them away without her being upset?

She will only not be upset when she is done with them...