Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Do you think she is broody or just wierd lol

Best way to find out would be to give her some eggs. Set an egg down in front of her; does she roll it under her or ignore it? If she rolls it under her, she's broody. If she flat ignores it, she's just weird. If you suspect she is borderline then giving her a few fakes to sit on may push her over the edge.

I am not the most experienced around but that should give you a decent clue to her hormone setting right now.

 

[gabrielle1976]

I gaver her one of her sisters eggs and she rolled it under her, then I tried with a few jumbo brown quail eggs and she didnt want them but when I got two more of her sisters eggs she rolled those under her as well. Im gonna keep her in the same pen as her friends untill my incubator is empty again just in case movieing her breaks her as this is her first time being broody and she is less then a year old.

 

[gabrielle1976]

her sister just laid another egg so i rolled in front of her and her sister went over and rolled it around a little but I got it closer tomini again and she tucked it under her. Is 4 eggs a good first try for a broody?

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

her sister just laid another egg so i rolled in front of her and her sister went over and rolled it around a little but I got it closer tomini again and she tucked it under her. Is 4 eggs a good first try for a broody?

I gave my 1st time broody 8 eggs but that was in the middle of a summer heat wave. I would say 4-6 would be a good start for a 1st timer with cool/cold weather. Good luck!

 

[starlingsbaby]

i just had my first broody she is a buff orph. i had my first chick hatch just now, tryin to upload a pic.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Gabriella- your little gal is hilarious! I have never seen a chicken do that before.

Leah's Mom- good luck on a late hatcher. It's always nice for a chick to have a buddy.
Anyone know if there is another thread like this one for incubator hatching? I got an incubator for Christmas and am going to fire it up in a few weeks.

incubator's anonymous, maybe

 

[Farmin Momma]

Hi every body,
I have not been on here for a while. I think it was back in summer with my first broody. Well I had several this summer and hatched many many chicks with every hatch being 100%.
Now it is winter and I have 3 broodies! I was not expecting that.
I am worried letting these moms sit and hatch in the coop during the winter will lesson the hatch rate. I hope not but I guess we will see.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hi every body,
I have not been on here for a while. I think it was back in summer with my first broody. Well I had several this summer and hatched many many chicks with every hatch being 100%.
Now it is winter and I have 3 broodies! I was not expecting that.
I am worried letting these moms sit and hatch in the coop during the winter will lesson the hatch rate. I hope not but I guess we will see.

Question for you. Were the eggs you hatched this summer from your own chickens or did you have any shipped eggs?

 

[Johnn]

Beautiful hen!

Thanks

 

[Farmin Momma]

Quote: I have not yet been brave enough to try shipped eggs. I hatched eggs from my flock and bought some from other BYC friends that are in my "area" so I was able to go pick them up and handle them my self. I have both used broodies and incubated them.
Hearing way to many horror stories about shipped eggs to put any money into any yet my self. But I have heard many great stories about them as well, I am just no there yet.
Are you trying shipped eggs or is any one here?