Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

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Swirler
In my experience I have found I have nothing to do with getting a hen to go broody or not. You mentioned putting them over eggs. They go broody when their hormones tell them to. I had one elderly hen from my original flock who had never gone broody (none of them did) and she had stopped laying for some time. They were mostly shell less. One day she decided to go broody and I put fertilized eggs under her. She has now passed but she was a good mama.
Don't you love those girls?
 
fisherlady said:
suliah said:
My coop is predator proof, but I guess a mouse or snake could get in... I thought the temp requirement was invalid if you had a mama raising them? I'm going to keep the mama with babies, just wondering how old babies have to be before I move the whole family out to the small coop. In Michigan. In October. Yeah, it's cold, but that's what they decided to do, I'm just hoping they know what they're doing!
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Temps really don't matter with a broody as long as some criteria is met...
...allow the hen and chicks some time to acclimate to the outside temps if they have been kept inside a heated area....Move to an unheated or minimal heat area for a couple of days before moving them outside.

...make sure there is a well protected (from wind / weather) area for them to sleep. Broody will handle the rest.

...make sure the Littles can navigate any ramps or doors to follow the hen to the nest and be prepared to check them and rescue stragglers the first couple of evenings while they get used to the new nest.

Our hens hatch year round, temps don't matter to them but extra attention makes it easier for them to avoid incidents.
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X2 my broody has 5 Silkie chicks that she is raising. She brooded them in the coop & has taken the babies out just about everyday. I've found that the chicks raised my momma seem to feather out faster because they experience all weather conditions. The only time I've made momma & babies stay in the coop is if it it raining when I go to let the birds out in the morning. Friday it was snowing off & on & she had them out all day. 2 will be 6 weeks Wed. & 3 will be 5 weeks on Wed.
 
Attila the Hen said:
Swirler
In my experience I have found I have nothing to do with getting a hen to go broody or not. You mentioned putting them over eggs. They go broody when their hormones tell them to. I had one elderly hen from my original flock who had never gone broody (none of them did) and she had stopped laying for some time. They were mostly shell less. One day she decided to go broody and I put fertilized eggs under her. She has now passed but she was a good mama.
Don't you love those girls?
Click to expand...

Yes :) I was asking whether there's an age at which I should break her in a broody cage rather than let her sit for 3-4 weeks (it can take a little time to source/obtain fertile eggs for us). If it's fine and risk-free to let her sit/mother at any age, then great.
 
swirler said:
Yes :) I was asking whether there's an age at which I should break her in a broody cage rather than let her sit for 3-4 weeks (it can take a little time to source/obtain fertile eggs for us). If it's fine and risk-free to let her sit/mother at any age, then great.
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Sorry if I misunderstood. So I think you are asking if a hen gets too old to go broody. In my limited experience I would say no. My own hen was the most elderly and suddenly went broody and successfully hatched.
 
Sorry no experience with that, mine will only go half broody so far. I have had young chicks though before they were old enough to lay eggs(8 weeks) want to raise babies when we brought them in and they did raise 3 chicks for about 3 weeks, but they were 2 day old chicks. If you have a young one that wants to be motherly I would find a way to keep track of it as they do make excellent ones if you end up needing a momma for baby chicks . We banded our 2 for that reason . They don't care they wanna be mommas and now they are old enough they don't want to brood but can put babies with them and they will raise them.
 
Today was day 20 and we got our first little fuzzy butt! This is the first time for my Silkie girls, and they've been doing an amazing job keeping the baby warm. Six more eggs to go.... Hope they all make it!!
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