Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

Is it usual to have so many broodies?  I thought I was doing so well with 8 hens and I was getting four dozen eggs per week.  Now I'm down to only four laying.  Yesterday I only got one egg!  

I feel your pain!! Sydney explained it very well... broodiness just seems to be very contagious! I have 23 adult layers, since the first hatch in February it has been non-stop with as many as 10 in some stage of broodiness at one time. We are on broody hatch #19 with 11 hens... and at least 2 more hens who should brood again before fall.

I always wanted broodies... but the phrase 'be careful what you wish for, you may just get it ' comes to mind when trying to tend 10 tempermental hens in one coop!!!!

 

[calichicken]

I have a question for you experienced broody people. This is the first time my hen is hatching eggs and wondered if you have had concerns with eating/drinking/pooping? My girl has been on her nest...day 2 now and she gets up to move her eggs and adjust her nest, but hasn't really gotten up to eat and drink

She also has not pooped since Friday...nothing in her broody area...worried! Any insight appreciated!!

 

[fisherlady]

I have a question for you experienced broody people. This is the first time my hen is hatching eggs and wondered if you have had concerns with eating/drinking/pooping? My girl has been on her nest...day 2 now and she gets up to move her eggs and adjust her nest, but hasn't really gotten up to eat and drink  She also has not pooped since Friday...nothing in her broody area...worried! Any insight appreciated!!

I answered on the other broody thread

 

[calichicken]

I answered on the other broody thread

Got it!!! Thank you so much!!!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah! The silky had her three babies in the coop under her earlier. Hopefully they will still be there when night comes.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes! All the babies can now get into the coop at night.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I know what you mean. I've got mostly Dorkings, so they regularly brood, plus they're winter layers, so they're winding down production now even if they're not brooding. I've got 20 chicken hens and 5 turkey hens, and I'm starting to get more turkey eggs than chicken eggs!! But the 18 Dorking chicks are all vigorous and growing well under three broodies.

How many broodies you have depends on the breeds you have. Some breeds are well known to go broody, and once some start it seems to take over the whole pen. Other breeds rarely or never go broody. There's so many characteristics to consider when choosing a breed, and most people don't consider the tendency to go broody unless they specifically want broody hens. But brooding does affect egg production quite a bit, so if egg production is important to you than a few (or all) from a non-brooding breed might be a consideration

If you don't want the broody to raise chicks, you can break her brood over several days and usually get her back into egg production within a few weeks. I have posted an easy method for breaking a broody several times on this thread, at least once in the last month. Let me know if you can't find it and I will repost it if needed.

The eggs from times of plenty can last in the refrigerator for 4-6 months if properly stored, and eggs can be frozen for use during the lean times of the year. Let me know if you'd like me to post a method for freezing eggs that retains flavor and texture fairly well.

I'd like to know how to freeze eggs.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I have broody CCL raising 6 SFH that she hatched. They will be 4 weeks tomorrow. Lady week I noticed tiny droppings on the poop board. Tonight I noticed that she had them all up on the roost. Of course I didn't have my phone with me.

I have never had a broody teach them so young!

 

[fisherlady]

I have broody CCL raising 6 SFH that she hatched. They will be 4 weeks tomorrow. Lady week I noticed tiny droppings on the poop board. Tonight I noticed that she had them all up on the roost. Of course I didn't have my phone with me.

I have never had a broody teach them so young!

I notice each broody teaches them at different ages, but even a single broody will teach them at different times depending on weather and chick development. Our faithful silkie mix broody, Gracie, will keep her cold weather chicks till they are 7 or even 8 weeks old, and start 'roosting' them when they are about 6 weeks... but summer chicks get taken to the roost at about 3 weeks and she usually leaves them between 4 and 5 weeks. They always do fine, so I guess mama knows best, but it is always strange to see 4 week olds running around without adult supervision! LOL

 

[ochochicas]

How many broodies you have depends on the breeds you have. Some breeds are well known to go broody, and once some start it seems to take over the whole pen. Other breeds rarely or never go broody. There's so many characteristics to consider when choosing a breed, and most people don't consider the tendency to go broody unless they specifically want broody hens. But brooding does affect egg production quite a bit, so if egg production is important to you than a few (or all) from a non-brooding breed might be a consideration

If you don't want the broody to raise chicks, you can break her brood over several days and usually get her back into egg production within a few weeks. I have posted an easy method for breaking a broody several times on this thread, at least once in the last month. Let me know if you can't find it and I will repost it if needed.

Kind of a long story, but I was given some Marans by a nice lady. They were basically "rejects" and I knew she was getting rid of them for a reason. They were missing feathers and had bald chests. The lady actually told me they had lice (which they didn't). They were all broody. Once here, they started laying and didn't miss a beat. Their feathers grew back and everything was perfect. Then one day, the Black copper Marans went broody and I couldn't break her. Finally I got her some eggs and put them in the hen house. There is only one other chicken that has ever gone in the hen house so I figured that would be the best place to put the broody. I set the eggs and moved the hen and everything was great. My australorp, who is the last hen I thought would ever go broody, is the other chicken that goes in the hen house. She suddenly started laying really small eggs. A week later she was broody, too. I gave her half the eggs and now they are bunk mates and have eggs that should hatch at the same time. I wanted some olive eggers, so those are the eggs I bought. If all goes well maybe I'll have some olive eggs next spring.

Australorp on top, BCM on bottom.