Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[peepsthebrassy]

OK thank you for your great advice

 

[peepsthebrassy]

when will she maby start to be broody?

 

[Faraday40]

when will she maby start to be broody?

I'm not experienced, but I left some marked eggs in the nest. After 5-7 days of acting broody (but sleeping on the roost) she settled & stayed overnight in the nest. Because my other hens outweigh her (& b/c she chose the most popular nestbox), I moved her to a cardboard box in the garage the next night. I kept it dark in there for the 1st 24 hrs. She seemed to like the peace. Now she enjoys her daily maid service & breakfast in bed. I expect to see some chicks this weekend. I think each hen is an individual. I've heard stories of hens going broody in 24 hrs & also hens just forgetting about it after a few days.

My plan is to move mama & chicks to the run (but inside a dog crate) when they're about a week old. Either that or just put them into the chicken tractor when the rest are free ranging.

 

[peepsthebrassy]

mine also is doing this in the most used nest box she is the smallest hen covering 7 eggs from all of my four hens. will the eggs that she is laying on now be liable or are they not any good because of the worming and cooling of the eggs?

 

[venymae]

Hi everyone,

I'm so happy to find this thread. I plan to hatch chicks with a broody hen this spring and I think I have everything planned out using information I've read here. The big question I have right now is how I should go about obtaining fertilized eggs (we don't have a roo). Do hatch rates decline substantially if the eggs are shipped through the mail? If so, I'd like to find local source (Rhode Island). After a few google searches, I can't seem to find any breeders nearby that offer fertilized eggs. Any advice is appreciated!

also you might try the local thread here on byc for your area, or the buy-sell-trade section. Someone might be near you.

 

[SoManyHats]

I'm pretty sure one of my favorite EEs is broody, and I would love to let her raise some chicks. Last night was the first night she slept in the nest box, but she pooped in it! I haven't had a broody do that before - usually they hold it until morning and produce a horrible-smelling gigantic pile of poo. How do I discourage her from doing this? Do you think it's just because it was her first night in there and it's her first time being broody?

I'm happy to have found this thread and thank you for any advice you can give me!

 

[vpatt]

I am sitting here by Neezie waiting for new chicks. I may have counted from the first day and not the second....maybe tomorrow is hatch day. She has always been very skittish so I have been careful about messing with her. For the past week she has been unmoving and trancelike. If she has moved I have not seen it. Is the trance state normal? She began with 11 eggs and the last time I caught her off the nest there were only 6. She is a bantam Phoenix.

 

[fisherlady]

I'm pretty sure one of my favorite EEs is broody, and I would love to let her raise some chicks. Last night was the first night she slept in the nest box, but she pooped in it! I haven't had a broody do that before - usually they hold it until morning and produce a horrible-smelling gigantic pile of poo. How do I discourage her from doing this? Do you think it's just because it was her first night in there and it's her first time being broody?

I'm happy to have found this thread and thank you for any advice you can give me!

I would give her a chance to settle in, it may have just been because she is new at this.... but.... I would take the time to prepare her box with a nice thick layer of your preferred bedding (a soft hay works well)... and keep some on hand for replacement. A nice thick layer of the bedding will make it easier to pull out the soiled bedding and replace it with a handful of new if she has another accident.

You can encourage her off of the nest daily if you can keep the other hens away for a bit and scatter a favored treat a short distance from the box where the hen can see you placing it but not reach it without stepping out. Often times a bit of physical activity (just walking or scratching a bit) is enough to 'wake up' her system and allow her to do her business when she gets out. Eventually she may be 'trained' to come out of the box when you are there to supervise and she will learn to do her business when she is out and about.

This isn't a perfect answer though, because much to our dismay we all eventually learn that every broody has their own 'quirks' and sometimes we just can't get them to behave how we would prefer.

 

[fisherlady]

I am sitting here by Neezie waiting for new chicks. I may have counted from the first day and not the second....maybe tomorrow is hatch day. She has always been very skittish so I have been careful about messing with her. For the past week she has been unmoving and trancelike. If she has moved I have not seen it. Is the trance state normal? She began with 11 eggs and the last time I caught her off the nest there were only 6. She is a bantam Phoenix.

Yep, the trance is normal.... and she probably has eaten any non-viable eggs... many of my hens eat any quitters or non-starters.

 

[peepsthebrassy]

so if any eggs that aren't growing a hen will eat or roll them out of the nest? and if you mess with a broody too much at the being of being broody will she stop being broody? My hen been was still on the nest of eggs when i got home yesterday so i think she went broody and i marked the eggs and gave her more food and made shire she knew their was food and water there. i did that by putting my finger in the water and making nose with it. did the same with the food. she did get off the eggs but only to dust herself then she got right back on the nest. sorry if it is a stupid question.