questions about brood hens?

[gimmie birdies]

I have noticed you cannot move a broody, in my experience. I have let my hens sit on eggs in her favorite spot until the eggs start to hatch. then as they hatch I have brought them in the house got them started on food and water, while mom sits on the rest of the eggs. then at night I give all the babies back to mom, but I move her to a covered night box. lastly I have a separate pen for them in the morning that the other hens cannot get to. I wait a month or so before letting them out with the mom so the crows don't get them. good luck!
my current batch she is on. this broody is about 9 years old.

these are in my bator and she will get them after the hatch.
she is a bantam americana- lays small blue eggs. her name is Penelope.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I mark my eggs and I don't let my hen sit on 40 eggs or some silly number like that because smaller batches have better chances of making it.

 

[buttercup95]

I mark my eggs and I don't let my hen sit on 40 eggs or some silly number like that because smaller batches have better chances of making it.

I think that's very wise of you. I have hatched eggs with just my brood hen and just the incubator. I think the most I ever let my hen set on was 13 and ALL of them hatched it was like being a kid again trying to find homes for some mixed breed chickens and those I couldn't sell I gave to my sister.

 

[five is my dog]

HAHA! I'm laughing with you, not at you. When my brother gave me "my first flock", I specifically picked out his broody Barred Rock because I wanted to hatch some eggs with the Roo's genes. I guess the trip home and the new scenery was enough to break her. I've had her now for almost 3 weeks (I know, I know...I'm not being patient) and she has not sat in a nest yet any longer than it takes to squat out an egg...then back to the yard she runs.

a friend gave me a broody once and she never did the job either. so disapointing

. but now i guess im just waiting.