Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[skgray]

Yay! Do you have any pictures?

Finally got pics

 

[NysiaAnera]

Yay! I wish I had some plants my chickens could go under like that. They have a few acres and some areas that get very weedy, but I want to get a few bushes here and there for them. So far, all of my broodies have just used nest boxes, but I always do headcounts just in case one decided to hide a nest in the field somewhere.

 

[mckendall]

So I have a broody silkie and I found someone with cream leg bar fertile eggs for sale. I built a small broody coop and had a couple questions. Do I put the broody inside my big coop? And do I put a floor in it?
I have read the hen has to have moisture from the ground for her nest or her eggs won't hatch. Is this true? Also my chickens have about 3 acres they free range in, we let them out when we head to work then shut the pen at night. So should I just put the broody in the big pen? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NysiaAnera]

No, they do not use moisture from the ground. They will just pick a spot they like, and they are happy.

Personally, I just let mine brood in the nest boxes (or wherever they choose, but that has so far always been in the nest boxes). I tried setting up a "maternity ward" a while back, and decided it was not worth it to separate the broodies. All it did was cause unnecessary contention within the flock when the hen tried to return. Ever since I just leave them in whatever nest box they choose and let them do their thing.
My flock also free ranges over just under 3 acres all year round, so they come and go from the coop as they please. Broody mommas know what they are doing.

 

[mckendall]

Thank you!

 

[PD-Riverman]

So I have a broody silkie and I found someone with cream leg bar fertile eggs for sale. I built a small broody coop and had a couple questions. Do I put the broody inside my big coop? And do I put a floor in it?
I have read the hen has to have moisture from the ground for her nest or her eggs won't hatch. Is this true? Also my chickens have about 3 acres they free range in, we let them out when we head to work then shut the pen at night. So should I just put the broody in the big pen? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, let me say this----there is different opinions on your question. I personally move ALL my broody hens to a private hatching pen with a nest of eggs I choose that are set under her at the same time. She stays in this pen(my main hatching pens are 4 sections under one top that are 2ftx4ftx3ft tall---each section with nesting box outside of this) with her food and water placed where she will have to get off the nest to drink and eat---never where she can eat or drink in the nest. She stays in this pen till her chicks start feathering out. ALL the nesting boxes are up off the dirt with bottoms(I have never heard or read about the moisture from the dirt deal---that's not true) all my broody hens hatch really about every fertile egg under them. I set 72 broody hens in one season---over 150 in 3 seasons. This is what works great for me. Pic of one of the hatching pens with 4 sections.

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[mckendall]

Thank you I built the little broody pen today and will put the floor in it in the morning, it is a small a frame. I only have 12 chickens and the only broody hen I have is the silkie. How many eggs would she be able to sit? I was thinking of getting 6 fertile eggs hopefully half would be hens. They are cream legbars so hopefully I can sell the roosters. Also when should I start her setting? She gets crazy broody if I put fake eggs in a nest for a full 24 hours so I don't think she will have a problem sitting them however just to be sure I will put the fake eggs out in the broody 2 days before I pick up the real ones.

 

[nchls school]

So I have a broody silkie and I found someone with cream leg bar fertile eggs for sale. I built a small broody coop and had a couple questions. Do I put the broody inside my big coop? And do I put a floor in it? I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but a broody hen will do better if she has a nest that other chickens can not disturb/lay eggs in.
I have read the hen has to have moisture from the ground for her nest or her eggs won't hatch. Is this true? No. It might be beneficial if you lived in a very dry climate as it would help keep humidity at an appropriate level. Also my chickens have about 3 acres they free range in, we let them out when we head to work then shut the pen at night. So should I just put the broody in the big pen? I would keep her in the pen. The last thing you want is to have something happen to the hen while she is brooding eggs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nchls school]

Thank you I built the little broody pen today and will put the floor in it in the morning, it is a small a frame. I only have 12 chickens and the only broody hen I have is the silkie. How many eggs would she be able to sit? I was thinking of getting 6 6-8 depending on the size of the silkie. fertile eggs hopefully half would be hens. They are cream legbars so hopefully I can sell the roosters. Also when should I start her setting? She gets crazy broody if I put fake eggs in a nest for a full 24 hours so I don't think she will have a problem sitting them however just to be sure I will put the fake eggs out in the broody 2 days before I pick up the real ones. What is she brooding now-an empty nest? Give her the fake eggs for a couple days to be sure she is seriously brooding. If she has been setting an empty nest full time for a few days you can give her the real eggs immediately and not bother with fakes.

 

[mckendall]

Ok I uploaded a couple of photos which show my coop and the small broody pen. My silkie is well accepted by the other hens however she doesn't have that little ornery streak that my mothers bantam hens had so I will place the broody pen at the end of my main coop and run so the hens can still see her. I hope that will work to keep her on the in with the other girls. Thanks for all of the information. Not sure why my images aren't coming up on this post??