Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fluffycrow]

Broody hen where cryptic coloration works. No magic required to get in going. This year we will shoot for a dozen hens rearing broods. Most will start with clutches where first egg is laid after last frost.
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I've never actually though of this. I've only tried making a calm dark est, but never one where the hens could be hidden. Now that I think about it, one hen did make a nest in a hay bale, and she was a red color, from afar you couldn't really tell the difference

 

[fluffycrow]

For these colored/patterned girls, what would you recommend I use?

 

[fluffycrow]

And excuse the ISA brown in the last photo, she just wanted to feel included

 

[Faraday40]

I Have found some breeds claimed to be broody will decide to sit after they are more mature, so hope is not lost. Your best bet for getting dependable broodies is to find someone who lives in your area with a broody flock and buy a few birds from them. Then you can keep chicks you know we're from hens who brooded for you and you will end up with a broody flock of your own. But be careful what you wish for... I did this and now have a broody crazy flock (all large fowl) and frequently have 5 to 10 broody at one time.. last spring we had over 20 either sitting or carting around chicks from 3 days to 5 weeks old all at the same time!

Oh I completely agree.

As the weather turned cold, one hen decided to go broody. Perhaps she saw the snow and decided to sit in the coop all day. "Broody fever" is contagious. Soon I had my bantams stacking themselves like flattened pancakes in the nests. My poor serama rooster had to stand clear of his girls.

Here was my record of broody bantams at one time:
I have since rehomed some of these hens

I really didn't want chicks or an overcrowded coop for the winter. I re-distributed the 1st hen's eggs and made them share the 3 chicks that hatched. That was 5 months ago. Last week a couple hens finally decided to start laying again.

I've also had some 10lb hens go broody, and they turned out to be great mothers. The only thing I had to change was the incubation. When hens are that big they can easily crush eggs when jumping in & out of nest box. I just give them one egg (or even a golf ball) and use an incubator. As chicks hatch, I just slip them under mama. It's kind of funny when one hen sits on a golf ball and gets 15-30 baby chicks. (Most chicks are sold. Broody Hen just fosters them for a few days until there's a manageable number with which she can free range.)

I also noticed that broody-ness can be very unpredictable. Some never. Some only once or twice in a lifetime. Some once a year. Some whenever they hear or see peeping chicks. Some have a set 3 month pattern of sitting, mothering, return to laying for 1-2 weeks..... then taking over the nest box again.

The strangest story is my elderly Easter Egger hen, named Tyrion. Never went broody for 10 years. However, around age 7-8 yrs, she had some curious interest in chicks. As the flock matriarch, Tyrion, would occasionally visit the chicks and tidbit for them. When she got bored, she just walked away. We called her "Auntie Tyrion." She didn't want the responsibility of motherhood and certainly didn't want to sit on eggs for weeks. Last summer, she turned 10 and continued playing her aunt role to the many broody hens +chicks that were hatched. Then in September, when another top flock member hatched chicks, she joined their family. Three chicks had 2 moms. No one dared mess with them or their chicks! Tyrion ate, foraged, dust bathed, protected and slept with them. I'd say Tyrion was a very very late bloomer. She will turn 11 years in July. I wonder if she'll repeat or if once was enough.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry to bug youse again, but the bantam pullets I acquired a few months ago have started laying, so here I am asking for some of your broody magic. These guys can definitely go broody, one even is a silkie mix. Anyways work your magic

 

[NagemTX]

You can do it hens, you can be momas. You really want those baby chicks. You know you do!

 

[McChooky]

Did that last year (getting birds from a broody flock that is), well tried to at least. The bird was completely wild, escaped her pen, then the property, and then someone stole her. Plus, she looked like this

Did she look like this when you got her?

 

[fluffycrow]

Did she look like this when you got her?

Yes

 

[Ursuline Chick]

You have to ask @sourland, he is the broody magician. But be careful what you wish for, I had broodies for years, after I asked.

 

[fluffycrow]

You have to ask @sourland, he is the broody magician. But be careful what you wish for, I had broodies for years, after I asked.

I'm willing to take the risk. Better to have more broodies than none