Persistent Broody - new to this, please help!

[Jossy J]

Hi everyone,

I have a silver laced banty cochin, Lucy, who has been broody for three weeks. She is in a barn coop with 3 other banty hens and a rooster. I have been trying to break the broodiness by taking her off the nest several times a day, removing the eggs and even moving the nesting box around. She is persistent and will eat / drink and run back to the nest. She has even plucked the feathers off of her breast and belly.

My husband doesn't want anymore chickens (we have 2 pullets and 2 cockerels in seperate cages) but my kids would, of course. I'd like to let Lucy raise a couple of chicks since she is so dedicated.

My dilemma is that we are going away for a one week vacation starting on July 18. I'd like to be around to candle the eggs and to make sure everything is ok. I was planning on moving Lucy with her nesting box into a dog crate and sneaking some of my friends fertilized gold laced eggs under her.

I have read a lot about broody hens and had a few questions...

1. How many eggs should I put under her remembering I'd only want 1-2 chicks but want the hatch to be successful to break the broodiness.

2. How old can the eggs be? ie. if I get them from my neighbour one day, can I wait a few days before I put them under her? (I've always wanted a gold laced banty and thought this would be a way to obtain one).

3. How long can I leave her with the chicks?

4. Can I leave the dog crate next to the coop enclosure so she can see her buddies and so that the re-intergration into the flock after the hatch won't be so traumatic or will this discourage her?

5. If I don't get home until July 25 and don't want to burdon the house sitter with Lucy, can I put the eggs under her on say, July 10 ... will she stay broody long enough to hatch the eggs?

6. How often should I candle the eggs? I don't want any explosions but I also don't want to disturb Lucy.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
Try 3-4 eggs

2. How old can the eggs be? ie. if I get them from my neighbour one day, can I wait a few days before I put them under her? (I've always wanted a gold laced banty and thought this would be a way to obtain one).

I think up to a week, maybe longer. But fresher ones are more likely to hatch.

3. How long can I leave her with the chicks?

As long as she wants to stay & tend to them. The time differs with each hen, as early as 4 weeks, as late as 10, sometimes more.

4. Can I leave the dog crate next to the coop enclosure so she can see her buddies and so that the re-intergration into the flock after the hatch won't be so traumatic or will this discourage her?

I'm not sure. When they're brooding, they don't pay much attention to anything else. The other hens might be a bother. My hens usually jump right back into their flocks with little/no problem.

5. If I don't get home until July 25 and don't want to burdon the house sitter with Lucy, can I put the eggs under her on say, July 10 ... will she stay broody long enough to hatch the eggs?

If you set the eggs 7/10 and leave on 7/18, that should be ample time to know if she's going to stick with the job. From 7/18-7/25 Lucy should be doing fine on her own. Just make sure your sitter checks on her each day to refresh her food & water, they shouldn't have to do much more.

6. How often should I candle the eggs? I don't want any explosions but I also don't want to disturb Lucy.

I myself never bother the hens by candling their eggs, and haven't had any problems with exploding eggs. Other folks have, and understandably, will candle more often.

If you change your mind & want to break her broody spell instead, put her in a wire-bottomed cage (like a rabbit or parrot cage) set up on blocks or sawhorses, or hung from rafters. Not in deep shadow, but protected from sun & rain. Give her food & water but NO bedding. After 3-4 days she should have a different attitude. The feather loss you found on her breast is her broody patch, bare patches of skin that lend moisture to the growing egglings.

and let us know what happens!​

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

1. How many eggs should I put under her remembering I'd only want 1-2 chicks but want the hatch to be successful to break the broodiness.

You could try 3 or 4 but in the end it is completely unpredictable what you will end up with.

2. How old can the eggs be? ie. if I get them from my neighbour one day, can I wait a few days before I put them under her? (I've always wanted a gold laced banty and thought this would be a way to obtain one).

A few days is perfectly fine, just make sure they dont get to hot or to cold in that time period.

3. How long can I leave her with the chicks?

As long as you want. They will gain independence.

4. Can I leave the dog crate next to the coop enclosure so she can see her buddies and so that the re-intergration into the flock after the hatch won't be so traumatic or will this discourage her?

That is perfectly fine. I leave my broodies in the chicken coop until day 10 (or so..) And then put them in a dog crate INSIDE the chicken coop to hatch the chicks.

5. If I don't get home until July 25 and don't want to burdon the house sitter with Lucy, can I put the eggs under her on say, July 10 ... will she stay broody long enough to hatch the eggs?

People have no control on how long a hen stays broody. I have had one broody since March, and she keeps coming back...

6. How often should I candle the eggs? I don't want any explosions but I also don't want to disturb Lucy.

I dont candle the broody eggs. I have enough roosters that I have 100% fertility, and the hen HATES it when I take her eggs..

Good Luck!!

Jason

 

[Jossy J]

Thank you very much Sunny Side Up and Jason for taking the time to type all of that information out! It really helps me with a plan.

I went out to the barn after I posted these questions, there was Lucy out of her nest having a dust bath and then the rooster mounted her. He is not an excessive breeder but I haven't noticed him bother her when she was in and out of the nest and being broody. Does a rooster still mate with a broody or is it hand's off?

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
He'll probably try, but the broody probably won't be receptive at all. "Back off, Jack!" she'll say, "I only get a 5-minute coffee break and I'm not wasting a minute of it with you!"