Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[PuffyChick]

I need advice!!

My poor Pepper a Barred Plymouth is sat on her nest for 2 days now and hasn't moved off of it AT ALL.

I am serious. She hasn't drank, or ate. I know because I brought her in the house (nest and all) because it was too hot in her coop
and I didn't want her to die and so she is in the open dog crate with her little nest in a card board box and she will not move off of it.

Should I take her outside for a little bit?

I would have to take her off the nest.

I don't want her to go off being broody.
She is so glued to that nest I am hoping she will take a grafting of chicks on Wednesday instead of waiting 2-3 more weeks.

I am really worried about her.

 

[Amyable]

I need advice!!

My poor Pepper a Barred Plymouth is sat on her nest for 2 days now and hasn't moved off of it AT ALL.

I am serious. She hasn't drank, or ate. I know because I brought her in the house (nest and all) because it was too hot in her coop
and I didn't want her to die and so she is in the open dog crate with her little nest in a card board box and she will not move off of it.

Should I take her outside for a little bit?

I would have to take her off the nest.

I don't want her to go off being broody.
She is so glued to that nest I am hoping she will take a grafting of chicks on Wednesday instead of waiting 2-3 more weeks.

I am really worried about her.

Not all broodies get off the nest every day. She must be taking her job seriously. If by the third day she hasn't moved, take her off the nest and put her by food and water. She might stay off for a while, maybe an hour or more; don't be alarmed.

 

[MumsyII]

I've got two Silkie pullets on eggs and a barnyard hen sitting on six Silkie eggs. Judy the Broody is in it for two weeks now. The Silkies for about a week.


Judy the Broody is on Silkie eggs. Third time shes gone broody in five months time. Successful hatches when ever she sets her mind and bum to the task.

The Silkie pullets are not that great at it yet. This is their second try.

 

[Chubby Cheekers]

My cochin just had two baby chicks and now my brahma has been sitting for a week. I pick her up, I take her eggs

 

[Chubby Cheekers]

I have had her for 3 years and she never went broody before. I am now looking for 2 one day old chicks to get her.

 

[jesirose]

Can you fit a bowl of food and water in the crate with her?

 

[McCaskill]

Day 2 of broody moma :
Loved watching my broody Sybil today run around my chicken yard, acting like her tail feathers were on fire my roo tried too 'round her up' as I call it (where he puts one wing down and "dances" around the hens) but she puffed up like a balloon and scwalked at him and ran away. His look of bemusement was the highlight too my day

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I am soooooo excited, 2 broody hens. I have English Orp eggs coming this week & Silver Ameraucana eggs coming next week.

 

[chickydee64]

Just a check in to say.. when my broody was finished.. she was finished.....no working up to it. She left the chicks to themselves and roosted next to Mr. Roo last night.
Today she pretty much ignored them unless another chicken was trying to interfere with their eating. Then she stepped in and went after the offender.
Bed time came .she went with the flock, the chicks went to the area where they slept with her................one was missing.............we looked and waited and looked......
no chick. We had fed water mellons cut in half today. My DH was cleaning up the rinds ............one was turned over and when he picked it up, sure enough,
there was the missing chick.........

..Happy days...........poor little thing had been trapped for hours and didn't make a peep..............
Two hens due Wends.

 

[PuffyChick]

Update on my first Broody Girl.

We managed to build a little coop/run for her and baby chicks. It turned out AWESOME!
We used a bunch of stuff we had left over and so this thing only cost us 20 bucks for the 2x2's
We used an old swing gate door for half of the run area because it offers greater shaded area for the heat.
This is BRILLIANT! (Thank You Hubby!! for being sooo clever)
Because I am really worried about her over heating. This whole thing is 3x5 and very lightweight.
The "shingle" over the nest area lifts up as well.

The other side is covered with chicken wire so the chicks can see our other 2 hens and they can see them and all get used to each other.
Our girls "free range" the whole yard.(notice the foot tall grass in the main coop run??Spoiled girls)
They have taken over!
I love seeing them free and happy, so beautiful.


And our Broody girl.
We made her get off the nest after 3 days.
I just took her and plopped her down in the yard.
She could hardly walk at first and wobbled!

Then I grabbed her some fresh corn and some feed because she madly set about scarfing down everything that moved.
Grass being the top of the list.

She then proceeded to find the closest hole to have a "calgon" bath and boy did she! She had dirt flying every where! LOL

Then I closed her in with food and water and she snuggled right in. Now she wont get off the nest again! LOL

She is gonna be a good momma!