Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Wynette]

Lordy. When it rains... Snowi has gone broody. She is sitting with Summer and has stollen at least two eggs. What do I do? Get her her own eggs or let her take a few of summers?

Get her some of her own eggs, of course - PLENTY of them!

(I'm just kidding....)

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Wynette- that is what I want to do but I am not sure if I am in the clear yet. I added more details to the post, key being that when I made her leave Summer and her eggs alone she left the coop. I put in a golfball and I will see if she tries to hatch that. May also add more if I can find them. :/

Edit to add:
I have put an egg(infertile) and a golfball it her fav spot but she just seems to want to get to Summer. Not sure what that means... ?

 

[farmer boy]

all my young ones are not ready to lay these ones are at least a few years old

 

[Johnn]

Need advice, Melow keeps trashing the shed, well she is trying to show the chick how to scratch but the problem is she kicked the water bowl away so the chicks and the other hen had now water and she kicked the food bowl away. Theres nothing much i can do about the water bowl apart from hude it behind the chicken trough but could i mix the chick crumb in with the corn? because the chicks always jump in the trough and pick bits of corn up anyways when the hens are eating so i know they can get in it

 

[Miss Lydia]

well, licorice the broody from heck has gone broody again, so i stuck her in the bathroom with 2 eggs due to hatch thursday... seramas, so she won't be sitting in the heat...sheesh!

What we won't do for our girls.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm sorry - as soon as you don't want a broody again you'll get one or two or three - at least that's the way it's been here with my flock. Two of my girls, Topsy and Smokey, have gone broody twice so far this year. And I think I'm about to get a third time for Smokey and a 1st time for Sunny as they are spending more and more time hanging around in the nest boxes and screeching like hoot owls when I go near them. Thankfully my Lavender Orps haven't figured out the broody thing yet. I caught Smokey smooshed in with Topsy earlier today - they are mortal enemies so I KNOW that Smokey wants to be broody or she wouldn't have squished in there with Topsy to save her life.

you guys are all so lucky none of my adult hens will go broody lol .. it sucks there were signs of one hen going broody but she didn't want to so she abandoned the nest with all the eggs in it

 

[farmer boy]

ya none have gone broody it sucks .. i just have to wait until next year for my silkies and astrloups

 

[Miss Lydia]

Need advice, Melow keeps trashing the shed, well she is trying to show the chick how to scratch but the problem is she kicked the water bowl away so the chicks and the other hen had now water and she kicked the food bowl away. Theres nothing much i can do about the water bowl apart from hude it behind the chicken trough but could i mix the chick crumb in with the corn? because the chicks always jump in the trough and pick bits of corn up anyways when the hens are eating so i know they can get in it

They do that, crazy hens. I put my waterers and feeders up on pieces of scrap wood and make something like steps for them to get to it, they still seem to get shaving in it but not to the point they don't have water. I mix my scratch in with my crumble works good here. since the mamas like to teach the chicks to scratch I'll put some in the feeder and also put some on the floor.

 

[Miss Lydia]

ya none have gone broody it sucks .. i just have to wait until next year for my silkies and astrloups

your silkies will deff brood for you. also my bantams are great lil broodies,and mamas too.

 

[bobbieschicks]

your silkies will deff brood for you. also my bantams are great lil broodies,and mamas too. 

Xs2!