Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Leahs Mom]

This is great stuff, thanks alot. One more question if you don't mind. My flock is 9 months old. I know it varies, but when should I expect some of the hens to go broody. At what point do I give up and order a different breed that I know will brood? June?

I'm NOT experienced. But...my experience is this...
I have a broody 8 mo old RIR. I was told that RIR are rarely broody. I would never have guessed...and this RIR is from a hatchery - not anything "fancy pants" about her.

I think this illustrates that it's hard to "pin it down" but there are more typical results, I suppose!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

This is great stuff, thanks alot. One more question if you don't mind. My flock is 9 months old. I know it varies, but when should I expect some of the hens to go broody. At what point do I give up and order a different breed that I know will brood? June?

A lot depends on breeds involved. I don't remember what breeds you have but some breeds (mostly bantams) are known to go broody within months of their first egg. Heck, there's a review on either silkies or bantam Cochins that they went broody before they even laid an egg! Others...

Best bet is when the weather warms up. And it doesn't hurt to offer 'encouragement' by creating a nest of fake eggs.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My silky laid about 7 eggs at 26 weeks and then went broody. She's been broody longer than she's been alive! JK but she's been broody four times this year. My other broody girl is a pet quality Araucana and her story is similar, however she laid for about a month before going broody. My big fat Lavender Orpingtons whom I want to go broody are almost a year old and nothing!

 

[bobbieschicks]

John I can't find the pic of Asparagus on my iPad, but I wanted to say he looks very handsome

Also either Topsy has started laying again or one of the younger silkies has started laying. I got a silkie egg yesterday. The chicks are five weeks old this Thursday so it's about the time she usually starts back up.

 

[starlingsbaby]

i love this set up great job and god luck

 

[cracked egg]

This is great stuff, thanks alot. One more question if you don't mind. My flock is 9 months old. I know it varies, but when should I expect some of the hens to go broody. At what point do I give up and order a different breed that I know will brood? June?

its all up to the hen, I know that don't help much. I have had hens that just started to lay and went broody,others never have shown the urge. I haven't had a silkie, but my little phoenix hens are my dependable broodies all 5 of them.
2 RIR out of 5 and 1 EE out of 10 go broody in the spring.

 

[losa]

I've got a broody eight month old black sex link. I'm new to the forum and reading a ton. I've ordered 14 eggs half BLRW and half Buff Orps and want to put 8 or so under her and the others in an incubator. My question is this; can you transfer the viable eggs (confirmed by candling) to the hen right before lockdown? I'd like her to take care of all of the hatched chicks rather than have a few separate hatched from the incubator. Perhaps I can just stick the newly hatched chicks with the others? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. My little boys and I are having a blast with our BYC!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm NOT experienced. But...my experience is this...
I have a broody 8 mo old RIR. I was told that RIR are rarely broody. I would never have guessed...and this RIR is from a hatchery - not anything "fancy pants" about her.

I think this illustrates that it's hard to "pin it down" but there are more typical results, I suppose!

That is so true, stonykill has a RIR that brooded just this past summer, so we can't lump them all into one bag, they are all different.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've got a broody eight month old black sex link. I'm new to the forum and reading a ton. I've ordered 14 eggs half BLRW and half Buff Orps and want to put 8 or so under her and the others in an incubator. My question is this; can you transfer the viable eggs (confirmed by candling) to the hen right before lockdown? I'd like her to take care of all of the hatched chicks rather than have a few separate hatched from the incubator. Perhaps I can just stick the newly hatched chicks with the others? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. My little boys and I are having a blast with our BYC!

can a blk sexlink handle 14 eggs or chicks? keep them all under her and keep them warm, thats the only question I would have, putting newly hatched chicks under mama at night as soon as possible so they bond with her [the ones hatched in the bator,] theres a small window for that one..

 

[Tmaxson01]

Thought I would share a picture