Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Congratulations everyone who has broody's and chicks!!!

sweet pictures also

 

[Domestic_goddess]

This is my broody buff orpington! She started on the 11th, she's sitting on 4 eggs. This is my first brood experience, i'm nervous and excited all at the same time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know how you feel it's kinda like waiting for your daughter to give birth..

cute picture too!

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
I think it would be kinder if you moved her where she can't see or hear her babies. It must be torture for her to be by them and hear them all the time.

 

[chicknmania]

Quote:
This past summer i had a careless broody that went into the broody coop without her chicks, it rained hard that night and all the chicks died. She seemed quite depressed, it took over a month for her to start laying again. Your hen will eventually get over it, but for the chicks sake, do not give her back her chicks or give her new eggs.

]
I disagree with that, I think it is not fair to the broody to take the babies away and give them to another hen. Tne chicks could've died before she squashed them. Im not sure what the answer is, I guess it's your call, but we have had new mothers who have had some babies die for whatever reason but were good mothers for the remaining babies.

 

[newlyweds]

My 8 month old Olive Egger Maisie hatched out her first brood (and my first broody hen) this week. She hatched 1 BCM and 2 OE chicks, so very cute. I am so proud of my little mama, she's a natural.

I have another BA broody that has two pips and my Salmon Favorelle just started sitting this week as well. I love broodies!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a beautiful hen and chicks. congratulations on the chicks pips and broodies!!!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

If this has already been asked then forgive me, I did try to read thru this whole thread before asking... Is there a way to encourage a hen to be broody? I had a hen or two that started acting like they wanted to be broody but then they would get kicked out of the nest box by another hen. We built a broody box, finished it today in fact, with the hopes of getting a broody hen to put in there. I have been saving fertile eggs but either end up giving them away or feeding them back to the chickens. Here is our broody box.

 

[boxermom]

That looks nice.

 

[angidee]

Super cool!!!!