Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Phantom-Bantam]

A good Broody is a good Mother-----you can take care of your kids in winter or summer and so will she. I have set hundreds of broody hens and have NEVER took one off the nest----they knew what they were doing before we came alone and will get off when they feel ready----But That's your call----I sure wouldn't----shoot she might have gotten off/on just before you came to her nest??. Mine has food and water close to her nest but not where she can reach it without getting off the nest. Having it at the nest where she can eat without getting off can cause them to stay on the nest longer and will cause most to poop in the nest area-----Serious, stinking poop. So back the food away if to close. Good Luck!

A good Broody is a good Mother-----you can take care of your kids in winter or summer and so will she. I have set hundreds of broody hens and have NEVER took one off the nest----they knew what they were doing before we came alone and will get off when they feel ready----But That's your call----I sure wouldn't----shoot she might have gotten off/on just before you came to her nest??. Mine has food and water close to her nest but not where she can reach it without getting off the nest. Having it at the nest where she can eat without getting off can cause them to stay on the nest longer and will cause most to poop in the nest area-----Serious, stinking poop. So back the food away if to close. Good Luck!

Good point, thank you. I am probably worrying too much as its our first time and like a lot of people say it is all a learning curve. Mostly though I haven't interfered with her at all only those few minutes at dusk where they would want to go in anyway. I will stop doing that. I have just read things about them dying on the nest because they wouldnt go and eat etc and don't want her to do that.
Other than my silly worries, I am loving it and can't wait for hatch day!!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have just read things about them dying on the nest because they wouldnt go and eat etc and don't want her to do that.
Other than my silly worries, I am loving it and can't wait for hatch day!!

Question, if they die so much then why after probably 250 broody hens in the last 20 years have I never had one to die or even act sick? Here is my deal---if the hen is not healthy from the beginning----DO NOT SET her. I break her. Some just allow a half dead hen(sometimes) to set and shouldn't. Hens get use to people coming in and throwing them off the nest----its just best to not doing it to start with----sure some say they got the hens in a Little place and have to take them off----I say get them a bigger place and let them get off when they want.

 

[Phantom-Bantam]

Question, if they die so much then why after probably 250 broody hens in the last 20 years have I never had one to die or even act sick? Here is my deal---if the hen is not healthy from the beginning----DO NOT SET her. I break her. Some just allow a half dead hen(sometimes) to set and shouldn't. Hens get use to people coming in and throwing them off the nest----its just best to not doing it to start with----sure some say they got the hens in a Little place and have to take them off----I say get them a bigger place and let them get off when they want.

Ah well I do know that she was very healthy before putting her on so yes point taken there, and she was chosen as she is the hen who has the tenadancy to go broody the most so potenitally the best hen for the job. Hopefully in 250 broody hens time I will have the hang of it as well

 

[Pstock44]

I may have a dilemma. We put a dozen eggs under a broody mama 17 days ago (today will complete day 18). I know its getting close to hatch time and I've had a 2nd hen go broody. She is setting on a nest almost all day, if I take her out into the run she stays for no more than a half hour. I've been collecting all the eggs we didn't set several times a day but she's being persistent. So much so that when broody mama comes off the nest she goes in and sets on it.When Mama comes back they both squeeze into the nest box. When I take her out its starts all over again.

What would be my best option? I have 4 fresh eggs to give her, what's the chances she would set on them and stay away from Mama? How will they be with each other in nearby nest boxes when the chicks hatch in 3-4 days? I have a chick raising pen almost ready and I'll move mama and chicks into it after hatching but I feel its to late to try moving her now. I'll still have one free nest box to gather eggs from if I set the 2nd hen and my 3 other hens aren't acting broody at this time.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I may have a dilemma. We put a dozen eggs under a broody mama 17 days ago (today will complete day 18). I know its getting close to hatch time and I've had a 2nd hen go broody. She is setting on a nest almost all day, if I take her out into the run she stays for no more than a half hour. I've been collecting all the eggs we didn't set several times a day but she's being persistent. So much so that when broody mama comes off the nest she goes in and sets on it.When Mama comes back they both squeeze into the nest box. When I take her out its starts all over again.

What would be my best option? I have 4 fresh eggs to give her, what's the chances she would set on them and stay away from Mama? How will they be with each other in nearby nest boxes when the chicks hatch in 3-4 days? I have a chick raising pen almost ready and I'll move mama and chicks into it after hatching but I feel its to late to try moving her now. I'll still have one free nest box to gather eggs from if I set the 2nd hen and my 3 other hens aren't acting broody at this time.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I set a lot of broodies----I do not know what will happen if you do your plan----I know if you will separate them from each other and the rest what will happen---They will hatch you some chicks with min. problems. I Like Minimum problems!! Makes Life Good.

 

[lizzy14]

That looks like a great broody apartment & should make flock integration very easy when the time comes.

I seal off the big nest box closest to the door when a bantam goes broody. (I don't like it when a big hen tries to bully a lower one off the nest to add eggs.) Losing 1 nest box out of 4 is not a big deal, but if I get 2 broodies at the same time, I must use a dog crate.

Thank you! I was thinking the same thing, and have always wanted an option for a partition anyways, for introducing new chicks. My husband said, "seems like an awful lot of rigmarole for one broody hen." But I like it, and I'm hoping it will work out.

 

[Pstock44]

We had an awful bad last 4-5 days with constant rain so I couldn't work on the brooder pen and now its to late to finish and move Mama. I think I'm going to give the 2nd broody 4 eggs and maybe she'll stay occupied and won't bother Mama. If they hatch great, chicken math right? They are all really peaceful and well mannered hens so maybe this experiment will work. I'll post an update about how its going in a few days.

 

[NysiaAnera]

We had an awful bad last 4-5 days with constant rain so I couldn't work on the brooder pen and now its to late to finish and move Mama. I think I'm going to give the 2nd broody 4 eggs and maybe she'll stay occupied and won't bother Mama. If they hatch great, chicken math right? They are all really peaceful and well mannered hens so maybe this experiment will work. I'll post an update about how its going in a few days.

If she has her own, she should leave the other momma alone and settle in on her own clutch.

 

[karenerwin]

I may have a dilemma. We put a dozen eggs under a broody mama 17 days ago (today will complete day 18). I know its getting close to hatch time and I've had a 2nd hen go broody. She is setting on a nest almost all day, if I take her out into the run she stays for no more than a half hour. I've been collecting all the eggs we didn't set several times a day but she's being persistent. So much so that when broody mama comes off the nest she goes in and sets on it.When Mama comes back they both squeeze into the nest box. When I take her out its starts all over again.

What would be my best option? I have 4 fresh eggs to give her, what's the chances she would set on them and stay away from Mama? How will they be with each other in nearby nest boxes when the chicks hatch in 3-4 days? I have a chick raising pen almost ready and I'll move mama and chicks into it after hatching but I feel its to late to try moving her now. I'll still have one free nest box to gather eggs from if I set the 2nd hen and my 3 other hens aren't acting broody at this time.

Any advice would be appre

I would still keep an eye on them. I had 2 hens go broody within less than 2 weeks of each other and even though they both had eggs to sit on, broody # 2 kept trying to steal broody # 1's nest whenever she got off. In the end she did manage to take over broody # 1's nest and broody # 1 had to take over the 2nd nest!

 

[Pstock44]

I would still keep an eye on them.  I had 2 hens go broody within less than 2 weeks of each other and even though they both had eggs to sit on, broody # 2 kept trying to steal broody # 1's nest whenever she got off.  In the end she did manage to take over broody # 1's nest and broody # 1 had to take over the 2nd nest!

Thank you, I was wondering what issues might arise. Mama seems to go out in the run sometime around noon every day. I'll keep checking on them and Mama #2 out if she moves over. I'm hoping having her own eggs will keep her satisfied. Only 3 days till hatch and I'm home 24/7 right now so it'll be easy to keep an eye on them.