Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Oh I am so hoping my Brahma is going broody. She has been staying in the main coop for most of the last couple days. The day before yesterday she stayed in the shed which I am converting into a coop (many nest boxes and sometimes a hen will lay in there too) She isn't sitting on eggs though, just hanging around. My other thought is the that the roosters might be too much for her. They seem to be more interested in mating with her than the others. The couple of times I brought her out, they charged her. Is this another broody sign (intense male attraction) or is she just tired of them and hiding? What do you think?

could be either or, maybe time rehome some of your more agressive roos. what is your ratio? and sometimes if a hen acts off the others seem to take it as an opportunity to mess with them, I had a couple of bully hens that loved to pick on one of my broodys, so I found them a new home. maybe thats what is going on with the roos.

 

[hennypenny99]

Haha! Kids say the funniest things. I wish I would have recorded the day my two stinkers came into the living room while I was on the computer and told me they were the rooster and pullet. The rooster did the wing dance around the pullet, but thankfully didn't moint her. Then the pullet dropped a plastic Easter egg to the ground and they both left the room laughing. I thought it was pretty cute, but then they immediately returned and walked up to me clucking. I wondered what they would do that could be cuter. They clucked a few seconds then turned around and walked away tossing crumpled pieces of paper "poop" behind. I burst out laughing at that one.

bobbieschicks that is so funny! I used to have turkeys and roosters with my chickens so the kids would ask what they were doing.
One day my oldest who was 7 at the time came in and said "MOM, your turkeys are making babies AGAIN!"

Miss Lydia you are right, I do need to give her some eggs. I think I will try and sneak out and candle her eggs. I need to find some gloves first though, not looking forward to getting pecked! She's been on them for a week now so I could giver her some of the barnyard mix in my incubator since they are about 6 days along.

 

[Miss Lydia]

bobbieschicks that is so funny! I used to have turkeys and roosters with my chickens so the kids would ask what they were doing.
One day my oldest who was 7 at the time came in and said "MOM, your turkeys are making babies AGAIN!"

Miss Lydia you are right, I do need to give her some eggs. I think I will try and sneak out and candle her eggs. I need to find some gloves first though, not looking forward to getting pecked! She's been on them for a week now so I could giver her some of the barnyard mix in my incubator since they are about 6 days along.

It would sure make for one happy hen!! Isn't it wonderful when the kids get to see sex education in it's natural form.

 

[hennypenny99]

This morning I saw her hop off of her nest to go eat and drink. I tossed some food out and ran to go steal some eggs. Oh my gosh! She has over a dozen under her! They are not fertile. I candled the two I stole and they don't look like they are developing at all. There is no telling how long she's been saving them. I only have 3 silkie hens and they are all silkie eggs. I havent had a rooster in a least a month. I really need a Silkie roo.

 

[JakRat]

I didn't tap on mine, I couldn't take out her eggs if I wanted to by that point. But the one in the bator will chirp from day 19 until born. As far as the eggshells go, I left them unless they were easy to pick up. Then when she was all done and had left the nest I cleaned up the remaining shells.

Neat! I picked up an egg today and tapped on it, but I didnt hear anything back. My silkie did however start making a sound a few minutes ago as if she was laying an egg... weird

 

[Fuffy]

Well here I am still waiting for Hermione to go broody again...I knew it was a mistake not to give her anything when she went broody in the winter!

At least she's laying, so that's a bonus, I guess. I just want to get on and get my Dorking!

But was chatting with someone today who is getting some Dorking to incubate. Says I can have some of hers. Have agreed to have 2 or 3

This means I can get something else for Hermione...Hmmm...Barnevelder? Better start looking on Ebay

 

[perchie.girl]

I have no opinion one way or another on Eglus Just trying to identify what I was seeing.... Easter Eggers can lay blue or green or brown eggs and are pretty common to get at a feed store. Sorry about the chick.

deb

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[stonykill]

I might have broody #2 of the year in the tin shed. A young black Sumatra has been sitting on her nest of 12ish eggs most of the day.

 

[Desiree Brown]

I am semi new to chickens. the first year we got chicks all of them turned out to be roosters, second year most of them were but something got into our hen house in late fall we spent a year w/o chickens and miss them. our goal is to be able to have meat and eggs and have our chickens be able to reproduce for us. Where do we start lol??

we have:
2 belgain D'anvers
2 Silkies
2 Polish
2 old english game (bantams)
2 Golden comets
3 EE
6 Light brahmas

should i seperate some of them or can i have them all together and if I have a hen go broody can she sit on other chicks eggs?
we dont know the sexs of our chicks yet we just got them. but anything i can do now to prepare??

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am semi new to chickens. the first year we got chicks all of them turned out to be roosters, second year most of them were but something got into our hen house in late fall we spent a year w/o chickens and miss them. our goal is to be able to have meat and eggs and have our chickens be able to reproduce for us. Where do we start lol??

we have:
2 belgain D'anvers
2 Silkies
2 Polish
2 old english game (bantams)
2 Golden comets
3 EE
6 Light brahmas

should i seperate some of them or can i have them all together and if I have a hen go broody can she sit on other chicks eggs?
we dont know the sexs of our chicks yet we just got them. but anything i can do now to prepare??

If you want to keep your breeds pure then when they get to breeding age you'll have to separate, you have some wonderful breeds, I know nothing about belgan d'anvers,polish i know nothing about, old english game bantams are wonderful brooders and mothers, silkies are wonderful brooders and mothers, Golden Comets are good layers don't know how they are other wise. EE's are good egg layers and don't know anything else about them, Brahmas are good egg layers, some go broody , they are great with children and are very laid back. Hopefully someone who has these other breeds can help you with them .you diff want to keep your hen to roo ratio at about 10 hens to 1 roo.