Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[losttexan]

Tillie - standard black cochin giving it her first go. She did alright and hatched everyone:

 

[Faraday40]

Poor Cookie is getting beat up, so I'm not sure how to integrate them. Only my 2 lowest hens are not fighting it out. One of the highest hens (last year's broody) is also not fighting She's interested in the chicks, walks into the broody cage, eats some food while she visits, & walks away. Its the mid level hens that are problems!

Cookie is not backing down & neither are the Legbars. Sometimes the EEs are joining in & 3-4 hens against Cookie cannot be tolerated. None are bothering with the chicks. Only the orp is slightly bothered with them, but only if one is trying to eat her food. (Honestly, that's all that hen really cares about anyway. She doesn't mind being near the bottom as long as when the treats arrive, she's 1st in line!)

** Forgot to add that Cookie is not getting completely bloody. I've been there & watched as the hens fight. Little pecks are OK, but I don't want to see grabbing, holding, or tearing of combs.

 

[MistyMountain]

Day 12 on guinea eggs under broody. I candled my one and only time of the hatch and came up with these three that are totally different that the other 9. Almost if not all of the other 9 had obvious changes and movement. I pulled these three. Two blood rings and one possible non fertile or early quitter? What are your thoughts?
1

2

3

 

[Rudys Flock]

I have a broody, she is on her nest all day except first thing in the morning when we unlock the house. She gets out with the rest of the flock, to eat get water then right back in to her nest. I read that when hens go broody they will stop laying eggs.
Well when she started to stay on the nest she only had 3 eggs so we took eggs from the 2 other hens (we only have 4) and put them under her giving her 5 eggs. We thought for the first time this was a good way to start. She has been setting for 8 days, when my husband let them out this morning she again left the nest and to his surprise, she now has 9 eggs.

We are still getting eggs daily from our other 3 hens, so I don't believe any of them are laying in her nest. We only see her once a day in the morning. The rest of the chickens are allowed to roam our 2 acres so if she does get up any other time I am not seeing it and the other chickens are way out back. They only come back to the pen to lay eggs or go to bed for the night.

Can she still be laying, the only other possibility is maybe the other eggs were hidden somehow. could she possibly cover them with the bedding when she leaves the nest and we just didn't see them.

 

[losttexan]

I have a broody, she is on her nest all day except first thing in the morning when we unlock the house. She gets out with the rest of the flock, to eat get water then right back in to her nest. I read that when hens go broody they will stop laying eggs.
Well when she started to stay on the nest she only had 3 eggs so we took eggs from the 2 other hens (we only have 4) and put them under her giving her 5 eggs. We thought for the first time this was a good way to start. She has been setting for 8 days, when my husband let them out this morning she again left the nest and to his surprise, she now has 9 eggs.

We are still getting eggs daily from our other 3 hens, so I don't believe any of them are laying in her nest. We only see her once a day in the morning. The rest of the chickens are allowed to roam our 2 acres so if she does get up any other time I am not seeing it and the other chickens are way out back. They only come back to the pen to lay eggs or go to bed for the night.

Can she still be laying, the only other possibility is maybe the other eggs were hidden somehow. could she possibly cover them with the bedding when she leaves the nest and we just didn't see them.

Chickens will quit laying when broody (if they are serious about it), and you would be surprised how sneaky some other birds can be about getting a freshly-laid egg in there. I have also known some broodies to actually go get eggs and bring them back to her nest. I always mark my set-eggs with a line all the way around them (so I don't have to pick them up to I.D.) and always remove any newcomers. Leaving them will create a staggered hatch, which can create some problems.

 

[Rudys Flock]

Thanks, I appreciate the reply, last year we had one go broody and we couldn't break her she had 2 egg and sat for 6 weeks. we eventually bought 6 babies from a local farmer (newly hatched) put them under her and she was delighted. I guess now we will just wait and see what happens.

 

[Rudys Flock]

Babies are sooo cute, I hope we get some this time. I have another question, we have a broody box, with a small cage about 3'X4' but our hen is in the big coop, should we mover her now or wait until the eggs hatch. My husband wants to wait, I want to move her now.

 

[Darnbunnies]

I have a broody, she is on her nest all day except first thing in the morning when we unlock the house. She gets out with the rest of the flock, to eat get water then right back in to her nest. I read that when hens go broody they will stop laying eggs.
Well when she started to stay on the nest she only had 3 eggs so we took eggs from the 2 other hens (we only have 4) and put them under her giving her 5 eggs. We thought for the first time this was a good way to start. She has been setting for 8 days, when my husband let them out this morning she again left the nest and to his surprise, she now has 9 eggs.

We are still getting eggs daily from our other 3 hens, so I don't believe any of them are laying in her nest. We only see her once a day in the morning. The rest of the chickens are allowed to roam our 2 acres so if she does get up any other time I am not seeing it and the other chickens are way out back. They only come back to the pen to lay eggs or go to bed for the night.

Can she still be laying, the only other possibility is maybe the other eggs were hidden somehow. could she possibly cover them with the bedding when she leaves the nest and we just didn't see them.

My experience tells me that all of the above are possible including a broody girl tolerating other hens laying in her nest box while she is on the eggs. I have two broody girls. One has quite a clutch, does not leave her nest, and has stopped laying. One still lays eggs, takes brief breaks to eat and drink and stretch her legs. Once there are an acceptable number of eggs in her nest she will settle down to business and will not get up.

 

[JaceAgain]

I need some advice please
My silkie is broody for the second time, the first she had 1 chick in the coop, and raised him amongst the other chickens (3 hens) not separated at all. Even though she's the smallest, she seemed to be the highest in the chicken totem pole. Now her chick is our roo, and I'm not sure how he'll do with chicks. She's also sitting on 4 eggs, 3 of which I'm mostly certain are going to hatch and 1 which is questionable. Should I let her do her thing like last time, and hope the roo leaves them alone? Hes much, much bigger than her now. Or should I set up a large wire dog crate in the coop and lock them in/leave the door open/ other?

 

[chickchoon1]

BO broody on 10 mutt eggs was moved to larger area today and she stayed off the eggs for at least 4 hours. I have read some stories where the eggs CAN hatch after similar neglect so will cross my fingers, I finally put a sheet up over her area because I figured the incoming sun was agitating her and she almost immediately got on nest again. Will see in appx 6 days if any make it.