Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Teacherchick18]

Honestly I don't know who is at the top. We only have 3 chickens. She is an ameraucana and the others are a Dominique and a Rhode Island Red. They've been together since birth and always travel together nicely...never seen anyone fighting or taking charge. If the others go in there to lay they won't break her eggs?

 

[Faraday40]

Honestly I don't know who is at the top. We only have 3 chickens. She is an ameraucana and the others are a Dominique and a Rhode Island Red. They've been together since birth and always travel together nicely...never seen anyone fighting or taking charge. If the others go in there to lay they won't break her eggs?

Yes, they may break eggs going in & out. Usually a broody stays in the nest all the time except for a 5 min bio break. I guess there's a chance another hen could take over the nest at that time & break eggs while trying to add more. I was more talking about when the top hen decides to lay an egg & pushes the poor broody off her clutch because she wants THAT nest box. Since my broodies are mostly bantams, they require a little security because most of my flock are giant 8-11lb hens

If I can afford to give up a nest, I let the broody stay in place & put up a barrier. (This is just cheap garden netting hanging on a few nails like a curtain.) Each hen is different & you may not need to do anything but add eggs.

A disadvantage is that broody hens are unpredictable & may decide to stop sitting just when you make arrangements to pick up fertile eggs. Some make impressive mothers, though. With a broody, you don't have to worry much about weather, temperature, turning eggs, power outages, flock integration, or even teaching them how to eat/drink. The broody does all the work for you.

 

[Teacherchick18]

So I was able to get my other hens to lay in a different box. I didn't want close her off to leaving when she needs. I go and check the nest each day when she's off and every day there's a broken egg. I scooped more bedding in but I'm not sure why eggs keep getting broken. Would a hen break them on purpose? She started with 11 eggs and now she's down to 8! Is this common? Thanks!

 

[ZachyWachy]

Another thing you could've done was to put some of your chicks underneath her at night and see if she accepts them as her own in the morning. A good broody will.

 

[fisherlady]

So I was able to get my other hens to lay in a different box. I didn't want close her off to leaving when she needs. I go and check the nest each day when she's off and every day there's a broken egg. I scooped more bedding in but I'm not sure why eggs keep getting broken. Would a hen break them on purpose? She started with 11 eggs and now she's down to 8! Is this common? Thanks!

The hens may be trying to get in with her to late and in the process of defending her nest eggs get broken. Just because the hens end up laying in the other boxes doesn't mean they haven't tried getting into hers.
It is possible she has broken them accidentally when getting on or off the nest for her daily break, any thinner shelled eggs are at high risk for that and even good shelled ones if the hen is inexperienced or clutzy.
I would put up a wire barrier for at least the first part of the day, she can take her break in the afternoon after the other hens egged...it is inconvenient to need to do it but sounds like not much choice if you don't want to move her.

 

[ZachyWachy]

I don't think it is common(I am only working on my third clutch of eggs), But, I have heard that broodies will get rid of bad eggs; I have also heard that shipping eggs is risky. Just in case though, you may want to section off a part of the coop(it should include wherever she is trying to hatch the eggs), and put in food and water for her. This is what I have done and if you do a good job, then other hens can't get in and if they do, then you will know because they can't get out,usually, and you don't have to worry about having to let her out.

 

[bald Rooster]

So I was able to get my other hens to lay in a different box. I didn't want close her off to leaving when she needs. I go and check the nest each day when she's off and every day there's a broken egg. I scooped more bedding in but I'm not sure why eggs keep getting broken. Would a hen break them on purpose? She started with 11 eggs and now she's down to 8! Is this common? Thanks!

Broodies get pretty cranky and pull Ninja like chicken stunt's on other chicken that invade there nest area!

 

[bald Rooster]

Crazy chicken is a slight leghorn and she runs the coop of 20 RIR I've seen her in action and its not a pretty sight! She fluffs all up and takes flight, the next thing you know she's on the chickens back riding them like a cowboy.Yee haww

 

[Lady of McCamley]

So I was able to get my other hens to lay in a different box. I didn't want close her off to leaving when she needs. I go and check the nest each day when she's off and every day there's a broken egg. I scooped more bedding in but I'm not sure why eggs keep getting broken. Would a hen break them on purpose? She started with 11 eggs and now she's down to 8! Is this common? Thanks!

x2 with @fisherlady
I have done lots of brooding, and often hens in the main coop have eggs broken as other hens stomp in and out. If the brooding hen, as often happens, defends the nest, eggs get broken.
Most situations, it is best to have the hen in a traffic free nest, meaning an isolated nest. It is good to have merely a screen so the other birds can see the mom and chicks. That helps with integration.

But hands down, if I want a good result with eggs and hatching chicks, mom is in a nest that cannot be accessed by other birds.

LofMc

 

[buterflysbeauty]

I agree, you need to seperate this hen and her clutch. We had our bantam EE go broody (very low on the pecking order) and she kept getting kicked out of her nest. We put up a wire dog crate in our coop just for her. She hatched out 4 beautiful babies out of 6 eggs and accidently escaped out of the crate while outside enjoying the sun and the rest of the flock had been fine with them. On the flip side our top hen, big mama (BLRW) is setting now and we do not plan to move her. She's left the best for 30 mins at a time and no one else dare touch the nest! Our Roo, Luna, bantam EE, even went in and watched the nest till she went back in... it was the cutest thing ever.