Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[All4JnG]

This is my first flock and first broody. I have been excited for one if my hens to go broody. Yesterday he sat on her 2 eggs for about 3 hours so I took the eggs. Today she was back at it so I gave her 2 more eggs plus 2 more of our own. She sat on them till this evening when I decided to move her to a broody pen I side the coop but so the other hen can't bug her. As soon as I picked her up she like snapped out of it. My friend told me to leave those eggs and she if she goes back so I have a pen around her favorite nest with her eggs but it's open. Is she just not fully ready? Should I just wait till she is sitting for a few days before letting her have eggs?

 

[ochochicas]

If you are going to move her, move her before you put the eggs in that you want her to hatch. Put some golf balls for her to sit on. If she stays, you're good. If not, then you won't be able to move her to the new nest. You can put her back in the old nest and see if she'll stay. I have one broody that didn't fluff up at all and she's been sitting for over a month.

 

[bobbieschicks]

This is my first flock and first broody. I have been excited for one if my hens to go broody. Yesterday he sat on her 2 eggs for about 3 hours so I took the eggs. Today she was back at it so I gave her 2 more eggs plus 2 more of our own. She sat on them till this evening when I decided to move her to a broody pen I side the coop but so the other hen can't bug her. As soon as I picked her up she like snapped out of it. My friend told me to leave those eggs and she if she goes back so I have a pen around her favorite nest with her eggs but it's open. Is she just not fully ready? Should I just wait till she is sitting for a few days before letting her have eggs?

She might be ready to be broody but the change in nest freaked her. See if she has returned to the roost at night with the other hens. If she has, then she wasn't ready yet but might be soon. If she's gone to another nest, then she may be a stubborn broody who is unwilling to change nests.

Several times I've successfully moved stubborn broodies by preparing the new nest with a little of the old nest bedding, covering the broody with a small hand towel, moving her, uncovering her, moving the eggs to under her by carefully cupping them and sliding them way under her, and doing all of this in the darkest part of the evening when chickens are calmest. The next day when the broodies have left that nest to eat/drink/poop they have returned to it without seeking out the old nest. I've not bothered with fake eggs for a stubborn broody and I've not had one quit being broody because of moving her.

I have had girls sit on the nest practically all day long, lay an egg, and return to the roost at night. Then several days later she would stop laying and seem to stick like glue to her nest. That's a broody. No longer laying eggs and not returning to the roost for 3 nights means I call her broody. Otherwise she's just thinking about it.

 

[All4JnG]

Thank you so much for the reply, I guess she is just thinking about it. Should I take the eggs away or leave them? I left her keep the same nest before just moved that nest in a pen in the coop and she didn't like the moving part. But it wasn't at night and I didn't use a cloth. Thank you so much for the tips. We are going on vacation in a week so I'm hoping to have it all figured out before I leave. My dad is watching them while we are away but he doesn't know a lot about broodies. I'm excited for her though she is gonna make a good mama when that happens.

She might be ready to be broody but the change in nest freaked her. See if she has returned to the roost at night with the other hens. If she has, then she wasn't ready yet but might be soon. If she's gone to another nest, then she may be a stubborn broody who is unwilling to change nests.

Several times I've successfully moved stubborn broodies by preparing the new nest with a little of the old nest bedding, covering the broody with a small hand towel, moving her, uncovering her, moving the eggs to under her by carefully cupping them and sliding them way under her, and doing all of this in the darkest part of the evening when chickens are calmest. The next day when the broodies have left that nest to eat/drink/poop they have returned to it without seeking out the old nest. I've not bothered with fake eggs for a stubborn broody and I've not had one quit being broody because of moving her.

I have had girls sit on the nest practically all day long, lay an egg, and return to the roost at night. Then several days later she would stop laying and seem to stick like glue to her nest. That's a broody. No longer laying eggs and not returning to the roost for 3 nights means I call her broody. Otherwise she's just thinking about it.

 

[All4JnG]

Her is a video she already had eggs under her when I went out next time I will make sure she is gonna stay before letting her have the good eggs. Here is a video of her.

My baby is broody!!!:

 

[fisherlady]

I agree with bobbieschicks.... hens can 'think about it' for a while before going broody, and sometimes they just don't settle in and go through with a true broody sit.... some play at it, think about it, mull it over, get us anticipating things... and then change their mind and go back to roost.

I don't consider a hen 'ready for eggs' until they have spent at least 2 or 3 nights in a box and returned to the same box after getting out for their daily break. A hen who is easily confused about her nest (returns to wrong nest box after daily) needs a lot more attention or confinement to ensure she won't go to the wrong nest midway through her brood and loose a clutch of eggs. I will move these hens to a more controlled or confined area and make sure they are resettled for a couple of days before giving them eggs.

Some hens just seem to have it down to a science and I can leave them on 'cruise control' and not worry about them at all... others are just a bit ditzy and need a some help to ensure their hatches work out for them. But if a hen doesn't commit to setting tight then they aren't ready and don't get real eggs.

 

[All4JnG]

Ok, I think I just got over excited and jumped the gun. I will let her sit longer next time. It seems each morning when any hen lays an egg she goes and sits on it lol. I took all the eggs and put golf balls in the nest.

 

[ochochicas]

My broody was in a nest that was not good for hatching eggs. I was 100% sure she was 100% broody. When I moved her she was fine with the new nest, but when I took her out each morning to eat and drink, she would go back to the wrong box. She was probably confused because she had never been in the hen house before I put her in there and suddenly her eggs were moved. For about four days I had to help her find her eggs. After that she got back to them just fine every time.

 

[All4JnG]

She is back on the nest, didn't check for eggs yet. Thinking about just getting her a few baby chicks.

But this morning I noticed he comb wasn't as bright red as normal. I added the electrolytes to their water, but is that normal?

Also what type of nest is safe for hatching? I didn't realize it mattered.... :/

 

[ChickyChickens]

Sparkle is doing very well with her 14 little puffballs but just has she finished another started! I now have another hen whose eggs have just started hatching!