Question about offering a broody hen eggs to hatch

[Bhapimama]

My sister and I are both new to this chicken raising thing. One of my sister's three hens has been broody for the past couple of months. She is considering ordering some fertile eggs for her. Can anyone out there give us a lesson on how to go about this? We need a "Broody Hen 101" course!

 

[Isaac 0]

I cant tell you much but i would recommend finding a farmer instead of ordering them online.Sometimes the eggs end of broken.Besides hatching eggs cost a lot.

 

[User395221]

I let 2 of my girls (in avatar) hatch some. I got them locally, from the local classified ads. I just put them in the nest box and the girls pretty much took care of everything. All I had to do was worry.....

You'll want to look up how to candle the eggs, and you'll want to mark them so you can tell if any of the girls lay new ones in the same spot so you can remove those new ones. Sometimes, a broody will decide she's not broody any more, so you might want to have an incubator as backup. Because my girls "chummed up" I didn't worry so much that one might go "unbroody" because I would still have had the other one.

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

My sister and I are both new to this chicken raising thing. One of my sister's three hens has been broody for the past couple of months. She is considering ordering some fertile eggs for her. Can anyone out there give us a lesson on how to go about this? We need a "Broody Hen 101" course!

If you have a broody hen get the eggs and put them in a nest and hopefully the hen will do the rest. What Try to get your eggs locally as everyone has suggested. If you go to ordering by mail you can have problems with not hatching. Brooder Hen 101 Get good fertile eggs, put the eggs in the hens nest and relax. One other thing. Some people pack as many eggs as they can put under the hen and this is a big mistake. Just put 6 to 7 under the hen providing she is a normal size hen. Just remember sometimes less is more because you will have a better hatching rate. Good Luck

 

[Bhapimama]

If you have a broody hen get the eggs and put them in a nest and hopefully the hen will do the rest. What Try to get your eggs locally as everyone has suggested. If you go to ordering by mail you can have problems with not hatching. Brooder Hen 101 Get good fertile eggs, put the eggs in the hens nest and relax. One other thing. Some people pack as many eggs as they can put under the hen and this is a big mistake. Just put 6 to 7 under the hen providing she is a normal size hen. Just remember sometimes less is more because you will have a better hatching rate. Good Luck

Thanks ... I love the simplicity

 

[Pork Pie]

When hens go broody, they eat and drink significantly less than they would normally do. Whilst this is not an issue for a healthy bird, assuming it sits for 21 days on a clutch of eggs, an extended period of broodiness, such as you describe can affect health (it can weaken their immune system and leave them more prone to illness as well as causing significant weight loss).

Personally, I'd break their broodiness (put them in a wire crate, slightly elevated off the ground with food and water for 5 days or so) and wait until they become broody again. After they have been broody and sitting in a nest for 3 full days / nights, I'd then give them some fertile eggs.

If you decide to go ahead and get fertile eggs then you also need to have a plan for the excess cock birds that will hatch. Are you happy eating them or selling them / giving them away to be eaten? Is your coop / run space sufficient for additional birds? Do you have a means of separating the broody hen from the other birds, whilst she is brooding (some members separate broody hens for the safety of the chicks). I'm sure there are other considerations to take into account.

These links may be useful
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181289/how-to-break-a-broody-hen

 

[Bhapimama]

When hens go broody, they eat and drink significantly less than they would normally do. Whilst this is not an issue for a healthy bird, assuming it sits for 21 days on a clutch of eggs, an extended period of broodiness, such as you describe can affect health (it can weaken their immune system and leave them more prone to illness as well as causing significant weight loss).

Personally, I'd break their broodiness (put them in a wire crate, slightly elevated off the ground with food and water for 5 days or so) and wait until they become broody again. After they have been broody and sitting in a nest for 3 full days / nights, I'd then give them some fertile eggs.

If you decide to go ahead and get fertile eggs then you also need to have a plan for the excess cock birds that will hatch. Are you happy eating them or selling them / giving them away to be eaten? Is your coop / run space sufficient for additional birds? Do you have a means of separating the broody hen from the other birds, whilst she is brooding (some members separate broody hens for the safety of the chicks). I'm sure there are other considerations to take into account.

These links may be useful
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181289/how-to-break-a-broody-hen

I like this plan ... So five days in a wire crate? And then how do you know her broodiness is broken.....?

 

[Pork Pie]

I like this plan ... So five days in a wire crate? And then how do you know her broodiness is broken.....?

If she goes back to the nest, put her back in the crate for a couple of days. Repeat as necessary.

 

[Bhapimama]

If she goes back to the nest, put her back in the crate for a couple of days. Repeat as necessary.

Thanks