Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[vpatt]

Eight days til hatch day for Olivia with her bought eggs! Out of 13 eggs 1 had a dent...She is sitting tight on the 12. The little frizzle is on five of her own eggs due to hatch a week later than Olivia.

 

[itstartedwith2]

Hi I have a question my hen Stella went broody and it's her first time mine too I tried to move her in the broody pen so she wasn't in the main nesting boxes ( she just had to choose the highest one and the most popular box :{ ) she wasn't to happy she got up looked at her eggs then left to go back to her original spot. She has 2 non fertile tester eggs right now and would like to get her moved before I give her fertilized ones. It's causing a problem in that she won't let the other girls need any of the nesting boxes. Should I try again? Shut her in and see how she does in the morning?

 

[mylittlehippie]

Hi I have a question my hen Stella went broody and it's her first time mine too

I tried to move her in the broody pen so she wasn't in the main nesting boxes ( she just had to choose the highest one and the most popular box :{ ) she wasn't to happy she got up looked at her eggs then left to go back to her original spot. She has 2 non fertile tester eggs right now and would like to get her moved before I give her fertilized ones. It's causing a problem in that she won't let the other girls need any of the nesting boxes. Should I try again? Shut her in and see how she does in the morning?

Yes. if you want her to actually stay broody and hatch eggs I would keep her in another place. Especially until you know how the others react to chicks. I have had the most success segregating my broody when I want her to actually hatch chicks. She should eventually settle into her new place as long as she has all of her eggs there. Good luck!

 

[fisherlady]

Hi I have a question my hen Stella went broody and it's her first time mine too I tried to move her in the broody pen so she wasn't in the main nesting boxes ( she just had to choose the highest one and the most popular box :{ ) she wasn't to happy she got up looked at her eggs then left to go back to her original spot. She has 2 non fertile tester eggs right now and would like to get her moved before I give her fertilized ones. It's causing a problem in that she won't let the other girls need any of the nesting boxes. Should I try again? Shut her in and see how she does in the morning?

If she won't settle in a broody coop you can try taking a floor level egg box (or just a much lower one) and using chicken wire to build a box frame in front of it. Move her to the new box at night with minimal light and fuss and cover wire front with a pillowcase to keep it dim the next morning. After she settles you can remove the cover. Make the wire frame something that you can remove completely or open a door on once a day to let her out to stretch.

I have one hen in particular who just won't settle anywhere but the main coop...she is just odd and likes to watch what is going on and absolutely won't stick anywhere she can't see from...she is an awesome broody and mother hen, so we just let her do her own thing...every hen has quirks, sometimes they just need a bit more tending.

 

[fisherlady]

Our white rock hen, Maddie,...she is due to hatch today or tomorrow...first time broody @ 11 months. she is setting on silver pencil rock eggs.

 

[Faraday40]

Here's little Cookie with her chicks. She was more interested in a dust bath than watching the chicks. The Legbar was occupied & most of the hens just ignored the chicks. A few little "stay away from me" pecks if a chick got too close to a hen. Cookie just rolled around & I put them back into the dog crate before I left.




We have a coop & 2 runs. Both runs are covered & still have the winter windows on. Right now it's kind of like having 3 attached coops, but the real coop is much darker b/c it only has small windows. The temp is about the same in each, but the flock only lays eggs & sleeps in the coop.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

for the hatchaholics, check out the Zodiac HAL

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/975265/zodiac-hatch-a-long-waxing-moon-in-cancer-hal

 

[komakit]

I do it alot. The other hens and roosters too for that mattejust except
The new members. Reason. A new momma is a fearfull creature.

 

[Johnn]

Lacey&Penelope's first day out today!

 

[ShinShien]

Topknot, the banty, went broody again. She's stuffed 13 CCL eggs under her. Is that too many for a bantam, and how many times a year do banties go broody? She's already raised 7 chicks.



Her, since I doubt anyone remembers me. She's in a different area now, but doing the same thing.