Opinions on a broody hen

[Chicken poppy]

I have three very persistent broody hens and it got me wondering...

What does everyone do when they have broody hens? I'm curious to hear people's creative solutions. Do you let them hatch? Give away the babies? Get them chicks to adopt? Try to break them?


Not sure what I'm going to do. Had a bit of a traumatic experience this year with a weak group of chicks I got from my local feed store. My heart still hurts but I don't want these girls to sit on empty nests forever.

Giving away babies is not a option in this house. You get babies, you get more babies. Okay but to be serious, we are trying to let them hatch.

Was in the basement and had a grumpy girl stand at the top of the stairs, head low, puffed up, giving me a glare in the darkness. Creepy.
Then she flicked her tongue at me.

 

[janiedoe]

Giving away babies is not a option in this house. You get babies, you get more babies. Okay but to be serious, we are trying to let them hatch.

Was in the basement and had a grumpy girl stand at the top of the stairs, head low, puffed up, giving me a glare in the darkness. Creepy.
Then she flicked her tongue at me.

I think there may be a profitable screen play/ thriller in there somewhere.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm breaking a broody for the second time. Because...

I ask myself this whenever I have a broody (which is 3 to 4x a year.
1. Do you have room for more chickens?
2. Do you want more chicks?
3. Do you have time for more chicks?
4. Will a larger flock cause more stress for you and the flock?
5. What will you do with cockerels?
My answers are usually: yes, of course, no, yes, and I'll figure it out later...then I set eggs or buy chicks for them to adopt. Because who can resist chicks
Seriously, ask yourself those questions, and then if you don't want chicks, break the broody before she sits too long. It's easier if you do it early.

1. I *could* put 2-3 more chickens in my coop, but things are working well now.
2. OF COURSE I WANT CHICKS!
3. I have time NOW, but not when we're going to be gone on vaca. I do not want to worry about a sitter knowing what to do.
4. Dunno if the they'll stress if the flock increases. I'll enjoy it.
5. I have room for ONE cockerel, as my roo recently died.

So, yes, I want more birds. But what we have is working well now, so more will have to wait for next spring.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Question: Broody hen, no chicks yet, something like 8, 9 hours on the nest. Nest is chair in the basement. MY chair. Yes, my chickens lay eggs in my chair for some reason.

Anyway, can i move the chair in the coop or will it cause her to get up? I think im having a risk here but feel bad shes alone in the basement and atleast cant be in the same coop as the others.

 

[janiedoe]

Question: Broody hen, no chicks yet, something like 8, 9 hours on the nest. Nest is chair in the basement. MY chair. Yes, my chickens lay eggs in my chair for some reason.

Anyway, can i move the chair in the coop or will it cause her to get up? I think im having a risk here but feel bad shes alone in the basement and atleast cant be in the same coop as the others.

How will you keep the chicks from falling off the chair? Personally, I'd put her in the coop inside a wire kennel.
You can line the floor and bottom of "walls" with cardboard so the chicks can't escape.
Just fix up your space, make a straw nest for her using fake eggs in the bottom of the kennel. After she settles, give her the real eggs back. It will not hurt the eggs to cool, even if it takes an hour or two, for her to settle down.
Good luck!
If you don't have a kennel, use large cardboard box turned on it's side (or a laundry basket) and use flexible chicken wire to cover the front. If you put her out 30 minutes to an hour, 2x a day, to eat, drink, and poop, all will be fine.

 

[Chicken poppy]

How will you keep the chicks from falling off the chair? Personally, I'd put her in the coop inside a wire kennel.
You can line the floor and bottom of "walls" with cardboard so the chicks can't escape.
Just fix up your space, make a straw nest for her using fake eggs in the bottom of the kennel. After she settles, give her the real eggs back. It will not hurt the eggs to cool, even if it takes an hour or two, for her to settle down.
Good luck!
If you don't have a kennel, use large cardboard box turned on it's side (or a laundry basket) and use flexible chicken wire to cover the front. If you put her out 30 minutes to an hour, 2x a day, to eat, drink, and poop, all will be fine.

Thank you! Didn‘t think of that.

Also, a question. Shipping eggs is pretty much my only option, which takes 7-13 days roughly. Found some eggs for 4-6 which would be better.
I feel like thats pretty bad to have her sit on a nest for up to 35 days! Or minimum being 25-28 days. Is that alright?

 

[janiedoe]

Thank you! Didn‘t think of that.

Also, a question. Shipping eggs is pretty much my only option, which takes 7-13 days roughly. Found some eggs for 4-6 which would be better.
I feel like thats pretty bad to have her sit on a nest for up to 35 days! Or minimum being 25-28 days. Is that alright?

As long as your ventilation is great, and you keep her hydrated and well fed, she should be fine. I wouldn't even shut off the nest from the others until you get the eggs.
Have you considered just buying her a few pullet chicks?
Most hatcheries have weekly specials. If she has been sitting for a couple of weeks, and you can sneak the new chicks under her, she will most likely be ok with it. Be prepared though, some won't adopt. The younger the chicks the better. I've driven a couple of hours to get new hatches for mine. It was easier than giving them the older chicks from a farm store.

 

[Chicken poppy]

As long as your ventilation is great, and you keep her hydrated and well fed, she should be fine. I wouldn't even shut off the nest from the others until you get the eggs.
Have you considered just buying her a few pullet chicks?
Most hatcheries have weekly specials. If she has been sitting for a couple of weeks, and you can sneak the new chicks under her, she will most likely be ok with it. Be prepared though, some won't adopt. The younger the chicks the better. I've driven a couple of hours to get new hatches for mine. It was easier than giving them the older chicks from a farm store.

Yes, i did. was the route i was going to do, however when i was typing this, i happened to find golden sebright eggs $10 for a dozen in our area. I’ll probably link the website if it could be of use to anyone else.

Darling is a micro, so they would be bigger, 1.2 pounds or so, she was .8 last time i weighed her. Hopefully they could get along.

Assuming the crowing is similar to that of a serama?

 

[Mrs. K]

You can hatch, you can add baby chicks, in the summer you can cheat on your numbers (oh how I know, I am maxed) but come the fall, you have to subtract to fit your coop!

Fitting the coop is IMPORTANT in the long nights of winter.

I swear I am pulling out the cockerels tomorrow, I swear.

Mrs K

 

[Chicken poppy]

You can hatch, you can add baby chicks, in the summer you can cheat on your numbers (oh how I know, I am maxed) but come the fall, you have to add more and more until you have thousands to fit your coop!

Fitting the coop is IMPORTANT in the long nights of winter.

I swear I am pulling out the cockerels tomorrow, I swear.

Mrs K

Fixed it. Welcome.