Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Jeniferl29]

I have several broody cochin bantams right now and I have 12 Welsummer eggs that should be here tomorrow. It is my first time hatching eggs and my first time getting eggs through the mail so I am very nervous.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

What do you do if a hen has gone broody and you don't have any fertilized eggs to put under her?  One of my Buff Orpingtons has been in the nesting box for a couple of days now.  She gets other hens' eggs under her, so I know she's moving occasionally, but she's on the nest every time we go to the coop.  She makes a light "clucking" noise when we open the top of the nesting box, but isn't grumpy, doesn't peck our hands when we take the eggs from under her, and doesn't "scream" (as I saw in someone's post earlier).  I don't believe she's egg bound (we've already been through that once with our white Leghorn - scared the dickens out of me!), but I don't see the same behavior in the Buff.  Best I can guess is she's broody.  How can we help her?

Emmy sounds as if you have a broody. You could give her chicks. I have never had a broody scream our bite me, but I have only had 4 broodys.

You can try to break her. I use a wire dog cage, with no nesting material, just food & water. It can take a few days to break her.
She won't be happy but she will survive.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I have several broody cochin bantams right now and I have 12 Welsummer eggs that should be here tomorrow. It is my first time hatching eggs and my first time getting eggs through the mail so I am very nervous.

Jen it is a great experience. Let the eggs sit at least 24 hours in an egg carton to let the air cells settle.
Then you can set your eggs under your broody.
I feel it is best to keep your broody in a seperate area, with food &water. I also take my broody of her best twice a day to go outside, to take her "broody poop".

 

[chickydee64]

What do you do if a hen has gone broody and you don't have any fertilized eggs to put under her? One of my Buff Orpingtons has been in the nesting box for a couple of days now. She gets other hens' eggs under her, so I know she's moving occasionally, but she's on the nest every time we go to the coop. She makes a light "clucking" noise when we open the top of the nesting box, but isn't grumpy, doesn't peck our hands when we take the eggs from under her, and doesn't "scream" (as I saw in someone's post earlier). I don't believe she's egg bound (we've already been through that once with our white Leghorn - scared the dickens out of me!), but I don't see the same behavior in the Buff. Best I can guess is she's broody. How can we help her?

can you find or order eggs for her...................she will set them.they are not on a strict 21 day cycle

 

[Jeniferl29]

My friend thinks it is a better idea to hatch with an incubator than a broody hen so I guess this is kind of a test for me. I really don't want to mess this up. You can't find welsummers around here very often so I ordered a batch off of ebay. I hope this wasn't a bad decision. I would be ecstatic if even one hatches.

 

[magnus]

The best broody hen is a duck!
Specifically the Rouen duck

 

[Kaybug137]

Just wanted to stop by and say hello!!

Today I gave my broody 11 eggs. She is a LF cochin, also known as Big Bertha as she is huge. She went broody 3 times last year and was very persistent about it. At the time I didn't have a Rooster, but now I do!

I have her in the coop with the rest of the hens and rooster. I want her to try to raise the chicks with the rest of the flock. She is at the top of the pecking order, so I hope she can be successful.

Anyway, I will be lurking the thread on a regular basis now

The one and only.....Bertha

I have a broody girl that looks a bit like her I call her Betty White

 

[lilliesanchicks]

My friend thinks it is a better idea to hatch with an incubator than a broody hen so I guess this is kind of a test for me. I really don't want to mess this up. You can't find welsummers around here very often so I ordered a batch off of ebay. I hope this wasn't a bad decision. I would be ecstatic if even one hatches.

My hens do a better job then I do after all chickens have been hatching eggs as long as they have been around. I believe they would know better then us.
Plus they are better integrated into the flock with a hen raising them.

 

[Johnn]

 

[elmtree]

Is she a BO? She is so pretty! Her chick is adorable too. I'm waiting on three eggs under my first broody. It's so exciting and nerve wracking lol. I'm not doing anything to the eggs to check and whatnot, just letting her set and do what she does. So the chicks should be ok as long as they are with their mom?