Tips for Hatching with a Broody Hen?

[GD91]

I moved my broody into her own pen yesterday. The cat's not pleased because I had to pinch his little green cat house to put in there since its an outdoor pen & despite tarps, water still drips through in some places.

She settled after a bit & is now being "hardcore" today

I took her off for food & water & she just sat on the floor for about 2 minutes before I poked her in the direction of her food / water.

After a very quick bite to eat & drink & poop she headed straight back on the nest.

She's got 12 chicken eggs & 4 quail. She's doing an amazing job so far.

I've also got 2 litters of rabbit kits on, a total of 14. They are 2 & 3 days old. Oh, yes! Spring is here,

After a long winter of zero production, we are now having a sudden baby boom. Its quite shocking

 

[azelgin]

I moved my broody into her own pen yesterday. The cat's not pleased because I had to pinch his little green cat house to put in there since its an outdoor pen & despite tarps, water still drips through in some places.

She settled after a bit & is now being "hardcore" today

I took her off for food & water & she just sat on the floor for about 2 minutes before I poked her in the direction of her food / water.

After a very quick bite to eat & drink & poop she headed straight back on the nest.

She's got 12 chicken eggs & 4 quail. She's doing an amazing job so far.

I've also got 2 litters of rabbit kits on, a total of 14. They are 2 & 3 days old. Oh, yes! Spring is here,

After a long winter of zero production, we are now having a sudden baby boom. Its quite shocking

I'd be very confident she's going to see it through. If they all hatch, she'll be a busy mom. I limit my broodies to about 8 eggs and am happy if they only hatch out half of them. The numbers work best for us, as the hen and chicks get moved to chicken tractors right away and the small group doesn't out grow the space too quickly.

 

[katelk]

I'd be very confident she's going to see it through.  If they all hatch, she'll be a busy mom.  I limit my broodies to about 8 eggs and am happy if they only hatch out half of them.   The numbers work best for us, as the hen and chicks get moved to chicken tractors right away and the small group doesn't out grow the space too quickly.

Ok great idea. I have a chicken tractor that hasn't been used since I first started out with only a couple hens. Perfect for chicks and a new mom!

This is my broody's second day of sitting and just moved her to the new nest last night. She actually is still sitting like a champion which I was worried about! Yay!

I have noticed she has not eaten or drank at all all day yesterday and so far today. I have her in a small private coop with a nest box and the food and water is only like a foot away. She basically just has to step out of the nest to get god and water and poop. How long should I wait before being worried that she isn't eating or drinking?

 

[azelgin]

She basically just has to step out of the nest to get god and water and poop. How long should I wait before being worried that she isn't eating or drinking?

One that I moved didn't get off the nest for four days. She's still alive and acts like an angry pancake, so I'm sure she's fine.
I wouldn't bother her for at least three full days. I say chickens aren't dumb enough to kill themselves, while trying to reproduce. They'd be extinct, if they were.

 

[centrarchid]

Put a time lapse camera on her. You will note a hen comes off each day to defecate until piping begins then she will sit tight (3 days tops) until brood moves off nest to forage for first time. In a free-range setting without confinement, the first days foraging seldom goes more than 100 feet round trip. I have never had a female sit for more than 24 hours without living for eats and potty break during first 2.5 weeks. Tamer hens will be more likely to come off while you are around. Many hens have mind set to hide location by not having anyone around when they come off.

 

[azelgin]

Put a time lapse camera on her. You will note a hen comes off each day to defecate until piping begins then she will sit tight (3 days tops) until brood moves off nest to forage for first time.

I had thought that , too. But tell me, since I had a clean floor, with new shavings, where did she poop? There was no evidence she left any droppings behind.
On day four, oh yeah, there was the big broody pile.

 

[centrarchid]

I have watched literally hundreds of hens go through broody cycle. Some when contained have habit of scratching through their own feces presumably to consume some of it. Provide her with a good handful of BOSS so the resultant turd is much larger and easier to see. If she is eating only a restricted ration of highly ground layer or grower feed then feces will be small and likely to be messy looking.

 

[azelgin]

I have watched literally hundreds of hens go through broody cycle. Some when contained have habit of scratching through their own feces presumably to consume some of it. Provide her with a good handful of BOSS so the resultant turd is much larger and easier to see. If she is eating only a restricted ration of highly ground layer or grower feed then feces will be small and likely to be messy looking.

I've research a lot of your posts and believe your experience with chickens covers far more years than I am willing to devote to them. I'll accept your observations, until something more concrete comes along, to make me consider otherwise. I do think, that the next time I decide to relocate a broody hen, I will set up some sort of indicator, so, I can actually measure the timetable involved, from setting her on the nest, to first venture off.

 

[centrarchid]

Cheapest way for me has been the time lapse option but you might also setup a game camera to record movement around nest. You will then get a handle on how often eggs are rolled. I have a hen coming off nest in garage with an unknown number of chicks. On warm days she spent more time off nest than when it was cold. Having feed easy to get to also shortened feeding time. In her setting she actually walked past feed and water to defecate and that was often done in elevated locations.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I have watched literally hundreds of hens go through broody cycle. Some when contained have habit of scratching through their own feces presumably to consume some of it. Provide her with a good handful of BOSS so the resultant turd is much larger and easier to see. If she is eating only a restricted ration of highly ground layer or grower feed then feces will be small and likely to be messy looking.

I've research a lot of your posts and believe your experience with chickens covers far more years than I am willing to devote to them. I'll accept your observations, until something more concrete comes along, to make me consider otherwise.  I do think, that the next time I decide to relocate a broody hen, I will set up some sort of indicator, so, I can actually measure the timetable involved, from setting her on the nest, to first venture off.

Yeah I like Centrachid too. He don't cut & paste random information from the internet and act like he's some kind of expert for doing it. He speaks from first hand experience.