Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BullChick]

I’ve got to put together the other dog crate

I keep meaning to get a second cage. And a third.
The two broodies are calmly laying in the cage today. I was attacked by a layer yesterday, but she laid an egg, so apparently she’s just mean. Instead of incubating eggs this time, I plan on buying some EE chicks, and see what other fowl the feed store has in a few weeks.

 

[Faraday40]

I have a 7 month old CCL that seems to want to be broody. I'd love for her to raise a clutch for me, but how do you really tell if they will go the distance? She's also the most flighty of all my hens. Will this cause the babies she raises to also be flighty? So far she has been in the nest box for a couple days and sits still while I collect eggs from under her. That is not how she normally acts, but isn't growling or pecking at me. How long should I wait to see if she's dedicated?

You'll know when she's "full broody" by her pancake posture, broody screams, and spending all day/night in the nestbox. I wait a few days after seeing all the signs before adding marked eggs. (Good to mark them with sharpie, so you can remove any new additions. A staggered hatch can confuse the hen.) I only have one hen who gets pecky when broody. (She's a tiny serama, so it's just a lot of surprising pinches)

My friend has a broody CCL. Her hen is more flighty and yes her chicks are skittish. They still run up for food and such, but not the cuddle and sit in your lap kind of chicks. You could still tame them with treats and regular handling if you like, but it's easy to just let the hen do all the work. When the chicks get to point of lay, they calm down a lot.

 

[BullChick]

My plan changed and changed again when I got to the coop. The girls have six SPR eggs.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

lots of rain and 2 broody hens, I am waiting to put them in their broody boxes until the rain slows down or stops. It is driving me crazy, I really want eggs, but don't want to break their broodiness. They are splash wyandotte sisters and are broody in the same laying box.

 

[BullChick]

lots of rain and 2 broody hens, I am waiting to put them in their broody boxes until the rain slows down or stops. It is driving me crazy, I really want eggs, but don't want to break their broodiness. They are splash wyandotte sisters and are broody in the same laying box.

I think as long as it’s been more than 24 hours, they will stay during the trip in the rain. Unless they are witches that is!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

If the 2 broody hens insist on staying on the same box together, is this a good idea for the chicks. The nests they are in are sized more for a single hen. Will that cause broken eggs when the hens are moving?

 

[BullChick]

If you leave them in that box, it is likely they will crush eggs and chicks. Been there, done that.

 

[Molpet]

If the 2 broody hens insist on staying on the same box together, is this a good idea for the chicks. The nests they are in are sized more for a single hen. Will that cause broken eggs when the hens are moving?

Even in a big box, I have had them stealing each other eggs when one takes a break, eggs got broken.
That said, others don't have a problem

 

[Faraday40]

If the 2 broody hens insist on staying on the same box together, is this a good idea for the chicks. The nests they are in are sized more for a single hen. Will that cause broken eggs when the hens are moving?

My last hatch involved co-broody hens (mother & daughter team). I joke that the serama sat on the eggs and the mod. game bantam sat on the serama. They are both very light and shared a few large orpington eggs, so no breakage issues. When the serama took a bio break was the only time the mod game got to sit on the eggs.

The hens did OK sharing the orpington & silkie chicks, but the serama hen hated the striped chicks (olive eggers) She kept attacking them! I added a brooder plate where the chipmunks could escape her wrath, but it became clear I had to split up the hens and divide their chicks.

It goes to show that each hen is different.

My big beautiful blue orp is clumsy and often crushes her poor eggs. That 10.5 pound hen does better sitting on golf balls and then adding incubator chicks as they fluff up. After that point, she's a good mama and can cover a lot of baby chicks.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

My last hatch involved co-broody hens (mother & daughter team). I joke that the serama sat on the eggs and the mod. game bantam sat on the serama. They are both very light and shared a few large orpington eggs, so no breakage issues. When the serama took a bio break was the only time the mod game got to sit on the eggs.

The hens did OK sharing the orpington & silkie chicks, but the serama hen hated the striped chicks (olive eggers) She kept attacking them! I added a brooder plate where the chipmunks could escape her wrath, but it became clear I had to split up the hens and divide their chicks.
View attachment 2614859

It goes to show that each hen is different.

My big beautiful blue orp is clumsy and often crushes her poor eggs. That 10.5 pound hen does better sitting on golf balls and then adding incubator chicks as they fluff up. After that point, she's a good mama and can cover a lot of baby chicks.View attachment 2614871

I think that is the fattest hen I have ever seen.