Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[perchie.girl]

Its my understanding that the sign of them going broody is they stop laying eggs. Um er one of the signs.... its more of a confirmation. Other hens may add to the egg pile though.

deb
edited because Yes.... I can spell.

I have a question. When a hen goes broody, does she lay eggs untill she has a cluch to sit on or does she just quit laying all together? I have a black cochin mix ( I asume mix cause she has a beard) but for a few days now she sits in the nest box for quite a while but no longer lays any eggs. Could she be practicing to go broody?

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have a question. When a hen goes broody, does she lay eggs untill she has a cluch to sit on or does she just quit laying all together? I have a black cochin mix ( I asume mix cause she has a beard) but for a few days now she sits in the nest box for quite a while but no longer lays any eggs. Could she be practicing to go broody?

When she is broody she will not be laying.

My experience with Smokey was for about four days when she laid her egg she hung out in the nest box, starting with just a few hours and progressing to staying until evening. Then she got up each night and roosted like the rest of the flock. The first day she went broody was the last day she laid an egg. That night she did not get off the nest. The next day she stayed on the nest and no more new eggs from then on.

Staying on the nest is a big part of confirming the broody.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Here is Grace and her babies......

Lily is broody again. She is sitting on 6 eggs. Lily's last hatch was Dec 29th. 2011. I went from 15 chickens to 44 chickens since Dec.

Chicken math snuck up on me quick.......... I don't know what I am going to do if her sister actually becomes broody..... She has been practicing for the past few days. She sits on the nest until 1:30 or so then gets off the nest, then starts all over the next day...... If she does she will be my 5th broody this year........

Adorable!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That mama is gorgeous!! and her chicks are beautiful too. Congrats!!!

Here is Grace and her babies......

Lily is broody again. She is sitting on 6 eggs. Lily's last hatch was Dec 29th. 2011. I went from 15 chickens to 44 chickens since Dec.

Chicken math snuck up on me quick.......... I don't know what I am going to do if her sister actually becomes broody..... She has been practicing for the past few days. She sits on the nest until 1:30 or so then gets off the nest, then starts all over the next day...... If she does she will be my 5th broody this year........

Lily looks awful serious!! your off to a good start with 5 already.

 

[Tripp16]

When she is broody she will not be laying.
My experience with Smokey was for about four days when she laid her egg she hung out in the nest box, starting with just a few hours and progressing to staying until evening. Then she got up each night and roosted like the rest of the flock. The first day she went broody was the last day she laid an egg. That night she did not get off the nest. The next day she stayed on the nest and no more new eggs from then on.
Staying on the nest is a big part of confirming the broody.

Oh I needed to hear this because I have two hens who stay on for a while then decide to get off. I guess they are just coming into broodiness and to just leave them alone.

I have always heard hens cant count well if they cant count can I just take a few of the eggs since there are like 15 in all the nest put together and leave a few in each nest??? Or will they know?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh I needed to hear this because I have two hens who stay on for a while then decide to get off. I guess they are just coming into broodiness and to just leave them alone.

I have always heard hens cant count well if they cant count can I just take a few of the eggs since there are like 15 in all the nest put together and leave a few in each nest??? Or will they know?

Thats what i do, it's called birth control. I only let my broodies have 2-4 eggs each that way i don't get overrun with more chickens than I can handle.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes - you can take away any and all of the eggs you want - replace them with others or with chicks, etc. That's about all we get to do with the broody - the rest is her job

Also FYI Smokey laid 3 eggs in a row and went broody - I gave her 8 eggs, but only 3 hatched. It looks like maybe I gave her too many eggs for her first time. Seems like she knew the number she could hatch. Oh well, live and learn, right.

Oh I needed to hear this because I have two hens who stay on for a while then decide to get off. I guess they are just coming into broodiness and to just leave them alone.

I have always heard hens cant count well if they cant count can I just take a few of the eggs since there are like 15 in all the nest put together and leave a few in each nest??? Or will they know?

 

[jgervais]

I tried to read through all of these to find an answer, but wow there are a lot of posts. So I hope no one minds if I ask a few questions that have likely been answered.

I have one broody hen as of a week ago that is in with the other hens and has prob 10-12 eggs under her. As of yesterday I have another broody hen in one of the boxes. I have 5 boxes total and 9 hens. I dont want to move either of them right now because they are both doing so well and Im afraid they will leave the eggs.

- Is it ok to have 2 mommas and babies together? I know the one will hatch about a week earlier. I can block off the coop that they are in, but I dont have room for seperate coops for each of the mamas and babies and still have room for the other hens.

- Will the momma let me move the chicks and her after they hatch? She def wants to bite me right now while shes sitting on them.

Thanks! My first hatch! Im real excited

 

[Tripp16]

Yes - you can take away any and all of the eggs you want - replace them with others or with chicks, etc. That's about all we get to do with the broody - the rest is her job

Also FYI Smokey laid 3 eggs in a row and went broody - I gave her 8 eggs, but only 3 hatched. It looks like maybe I gave her too many eggs for her first time. Seems like she knew the number she could hatch. Oh well, live and learn, right.

Ok I just have to take the eggs because I have customers. Lol And 15 rotten eggs arent going to do much good.

They arent on the nest yet but my hens usually dont lay until around lunch anyway so no worries.

The reason I asked is because my bantam hen (Gracie) layed a total of 8 eggs before going broody. The day she laid the 8th one she went broody. I keep telling myself today might be the day!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I tried to read through all of these to find an answer, but wow there are a lot of posts. So I hope no one minds if I ask a few questions that have likely been answered.

I have one broody hen as of a week ago that is in with the other hens and has prob 10-12 eggs under her. As of yesterday I have another broody hen in one of the boxes. I have 5 boxes total and 9 hens. I dont want to move either of them right now because they are both doing so well and Im afraid they will leave the eggs.

- Is it ok to have 2 mommas and babies together? I know the one will hatch about a week earlier. I can block off the coop that they are in, but I dont have room for seperate coops for each of the mamas and babies and still have room for the other hens.

- Will the momma let me move the chicks and her after they hatch? She def wants to bite me right now while shes sitting on them.

Thanks! My first hatch! Im real excited

It's fine to leave mama and chicks in the coop with everyone else, most of us have to do that. the only problems is if your boxes are set off the floor, chicks can fall out and can't get back in are vunerable to the other chickens and getting cold. so will want to take that into consideration, and since they are a week due from each other then there shouldn't be a problem getting chicks mixed up, which i had 3 broodys in the coop last year all hatched same day there was some confusion until chicks knew their mama better, took a couple of days only happened when the mamas tried to bring their chicks out first thing in the morning. you may want to mark the eggs though so you can take out the ones being laid by other hens if you haven't already done that.
you can wait till hatch day and move everyone then or just leave all together it does make intergrating chicks into flock easier. Keep us updated on progress and hatch with pics..