Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[curious chickee]

My EE are hatching today, another great brahma mama

 

[Lelilamom]

Our 4 year old Buff Orpington has gone broody AGAIN this year for the 2nd time - she usually broods 4x a year. She has a lovely large rock tucked under her in her nest and we are waiting patiently, but after a few weeks, we begin to lose hope... especially since we don't have a rooster.

We remove the rock every morning when she waddles over to the neighbor's for her snack and when she returns, she finds another rock and rolls it into her nest (she's a pet and lives by the house and not in the coop with the rest of our girls). We've pretty much cleared the driveway of egg-sized rocks at this point.

We started kidnapping her and tossing her in the coop at night this past week because a fox and/or fisher and/or skunk has been dangerously close at night (as evidenced by scat and turtle shells dug up just a few feet from her house). She's not a fan of the coop but now wants to be in there to brood the numerous eggs she's discovered!

So we either break her of her broodiness (again) or get fertile eggs and let her have at it.

 

[PD-Riverman]

So we either break her of her broodiness (again) or get fertile eggs and let her have at it.

If I was going to set her----I sure would not wait several weeks----It can take a lot out of a broody to set 3 to 4 weeks, then adding eggs to double that------its your hen but for health reasons ""I"" would not do that.

Do you realize at the start it usually only takes 3 days to break most broody hens. If one of mine is starting to set and I do not want her to----to the "jail" I call it---3 days later most all are broke and back to a normal chicken life. "I" personally would not allow one of mine to set for weeks for nothing. If you do not know how to set-up a pen to break her---just ask.

 

[Lelilamom]

If I was going to set her----I sure would not wait several weeks----It can take a lot out of a broody to set 3 to 4 weeks, then adding eggs to double that------its your hen but for health reasons ""I"" would not do that.

Do you realize at the start it usually only takes 3 days to break most broody hens. If one of mine is starting to set and I do not want her to----to the "jail" I call it---3 days later most all are broke and back to a normal chicken life. "I" personally would not allow one of mine to set for weeks for nothing. If you do not know how to set-up a pen to break her---just ask.

I was being funny - just adding humor to the thread. I can usually break her in one to two days. I never let her sit on the nest for no reason. I do think it's interesting how many times she's gone broody already this year. Usually only 4x a year and she already has hit #3. She's a good mama.

 

[Dreysander]

My chocolate orpington has been going broody on and off since March. She's been in broody jail 3 times so far. I finally decided to let her sit some eggs since she was so desperate to be a mama. Luckily we have a roo so giving her eggs to hatch was no problem.

She had 7 but kicked one out, now she has 6 and has been sitting for 10 days with them in an old dog crate on the porch. She was brooding in the favorite nest box in the coop but it was upsetting my other girls so I decided to move her. She has 4 lavender orpingtons, a black australorp / lavender cross and an EE / lavender cross.

I'm so excited to see if she manages to hatch any chicks!

 

[fisherlady]

My chocolate orpington has been going broody on and off since March. She's been in broody jail 3 times so far. I finally decided to let her sit some eggs since she was so desperate to be a mama. Luckily we have a roo so giving her eggs to hatch was no problem.

She had 7 but kicked one out, now she has 6 and has been sitting for 10 days with them in an old dog crate on the porch. She was brooding in the favorite nest box in the coop but it was upsetting my other girls so I decided to move her. She has 4 lavender orpingtons, a black australorp / lavender cross and an EE / lavender cross. 

I'm so excited to see if she manages to hatch any chicks!

 

I hope she has a good hatch, be sure to add pictures when they get out and about!

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

I need some advice! I've got a broody hen, and I've decided to let her hatch so I ordered some fertilized eggs (no rooster, though we will probably have an abundance if the eggs hatch!). If I move her to a broody pen before the eggs arrive in the mail, will that break her?

Any advice for a first time chicken mother's mother?! I've been reading a lot and I just keep getting more nervous about it!

 

[stryker]

Not much experience here but why not leave her and mark the fertile eggs? Good luck..

 

[A2Kzoo2]

I have a small simple tractor coop that I move my broodies to (was going to try to load a pic, but it didn't work). That way the others don't bother her, the eggs are less likely to get jostled and crack, and the broody girl has some privacy. I can also shift the run around when the chicks hatch and they can learn to free range before joining the big group. Also the main flock can check them out through the fencing without any fear of attack. Never had the move break the broody. I also move her into a cheap dish bin as the nest box, so that I can just move her entire nest and bug her less.

 

[ameliadanielle]

What do you mean by mean. Mean to you or mean to the chicks.

Mean to me. All my broodies have different temperaments. Some don't mind me at all. Some attempt to take off fingers if I ever have to get close to them. I'm beginning to think the mean ones poop the nest ON PURPOSE so I have to get close enough for them to attack me.