Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ChickyChickens]

So today i found a very sneaky little hen! We have an old aviary where i used to keep budgies and today when i went there I saw her there right between the aviary and the wall! She has 15 eggs that are clean and look alive when i candled them (no expert) ! So hopefully there will be some new chicks soon!

 

[Angie16hearts]

I have a question ? I have a broody hen as of this morning. She has laid 8 eggs and has two golf balls over last week and a half. Well I new she was moving into the broody ways. So I left her clutch alone. Only to mark dates. I know they are fertile cause of the rooster we had who died about 2 weeks ago. So since her clutch was in laying box for the last week + and she is just fully sitting and screaming at us now. Are the eggs ok? She has been on and off them. Yesterday was the final straw very confused would lay in eggs for awhile a couple hours then leave. It's been 60-95 degrees here. I did order 6 fertile eggs and will move her tonight. I'm just worried it got to hot and she is now gone full broody if the eggs are good? Thanks for any help! I will replace the two golf balls with eggs and any that look to small.plus yesterday was the first day she hasn't laid.

 

[lablover]

What does it mean if a hen with chicks just over 2 weeks old tries to get in the nest box the other hens use and sit on an egg? She was clucking softly while settling down... I definitely got it out of there though. Also, today I watched all 4 chicks get up on a roost in the run with Mama. Is it too soon for them to sleep on a roost at night? They sleep in a separate part of the coop, away from the flock.

 

[bumpercarr]

What does it mean if a hen with chicks just over 2 weeks old tries to get in the nest box the other hens use and sit on an egg? She was clucking softly while settling down... I definitely got it out of there though. Also, today I watched all 4 chicks get up on a roost in the run with Mama. Is it too soon for them to sleep on a roost at night? They sleep in a separate part of the coop, away from the flock.

Mom knows if they are big enough to be on their own. Sometimes they leave them at 2 weeks, sometimes at 8 weeks. Generally, the chicks are okay, but may become easy targets for overhead predators when their mothers leave them earlier rather than later.

 

[bumpercarr]

I have a question ? I have a broody hen as of this morning. She has laid 8 eggs and has two golf balls over last week and a half. Well I new she was moving into the broody ways. So I left her clutch alone. Only to mark dates. I know they are fertile cause of the rooster we had who died about 2 weeks ago. So since her clutch was in laying box for the last week + and she is just fully sitting and screaming at us now. Are the eggs ok? She has been on and off them. Yesterday was the final straw very confused would lay in eggs for awhile a couple hours then leave. It's been 60-95 degrees here. I did order 6 fertile eggs and will move her tonight. I'm just worried it got to hot and she is now gone full broody if the eggs are good? Thanks for any help! I will replace the two golf balls with eggs and any that look to small.plus yesterday was the first day she hasn't laid.

Broodies often have a hard time making up their mind whether they want to be broody or not. It isn't unusual for them to leave the nest for one day, get back on the next day, etc. Sometimes it hurts the eggs and sometimes it doesn't. You can try candling them at about 7 days and see if anything is developing.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Broodies often have a hard time making up their mind whether they want to be broody or not.  It isn't unusual for them to leave the nest for one day, get back on the next day, etc.  Sometimes it hurts the eggs and sometimes it doesn't.  You can try candling them at about 7 days and see if anything is developing.

if she stays on the nest would you suggest me moving her? I have 10 other hands and one rooster

 

[bumpercarr]

if she stays on the nest would you suggest me moving her? I have 10 other hands and one rooster

I don't move mine unless they are in a dangerous (predators) place. But others have different views on that.

 

[AmericanMom]

I am so annoyed with my two broodies. They flat out rejected the chicks I got and were fighting over an egg. I dumped water on both of them and snatched the egg away. (It should be only 1-2 days old)

How long have the girls been broody??

 

[AmericanMom]

Might be doing the happy dance around here... Seems my Molted Java may be heading into the broody way again, seriously, his is her third time this year!! It doesn't take much it seems to kick her hormones into gear, went out this afternoon to let my Brody Jersey Giant out, went back and hour later to make sure she was back on her nest so I could block her off and to my surprise Java was laying flat on the nest... Of course Broody JG was clucking and pacing so I took Java off and she went right into another nest, thought ok...she needs to lay an egg... Got the Jersey situated and came back up to the house... Just went back out and Java is flat in "her" nest and clucking quite a bit (all signs for her) so I gave her a couple wooden eggs and she happily tucked them under her...

Normally I wouldn't allow her to do this again but she does so well, never loses weight and is such a great momma, I had been saving my EE eggs for incubation but I hope I have a way better incubator...

 

[AmericanMom]

I don't move mine unless they are in a dangerous (predators) place. But others have different views on that.

I have two that flat out refuse to be moved and seem to do fine (I just have to check their nest every other day for new eggs), but then I have one, a java that will fight tooth and nail to not allow another hen into her nest resulting in broken eggs so I do move her.. Thankfully we have a nice little shed out in the chicken run that we have a door on and she goes in there, she still is "part of the flock" without being bothered..