Topic of the Week - Broody hens

[crealbilly]

How long after a broody has hatched out chicks will she start laying again? I have a RIR that hatched out chicks Aug 21 (about 8 weeks) and still has not started laying yet.

Im almost thinking shes going to become a "sitting hen" she went broody and hasn't stopped since she started.

 

[amynrichie]

How long after a broody has hatched out chicks will she start laying again? I have a RIR that hatched out chicks Aug 21 (about 8 weeks) and still has not started laying yet.

Im almost thinking shes going to become a "sitting hen" she went broody and hasn't stopped since she started.

It will depend on the hen. My Polish went back to her own business after about 4 weeks, but my Cochin didn't lay an egg until 11 weeks, and went right back to brooding by 12-13 weeks.

 

[JaeG]

Just wanted to say I let my girls go through their broody phases and don't try to break them. Then my bantam Wyandottes (who spend most of spring and summer being broody) lay us eggs all winter long when everyone else is taking a break. My Old English Game bantams lay for longer too but any really cold weather seems to stop them. The Wyandottes and one OEGB are incubating me some quail eggs at the moment. It's been a warm, early spring where I am so I'm picking I'll have lots of broody bantams this season!

 

[The Duck Ladie]

We need broody DUCK stories...
@dan26552 !!!!!

 

[crealbilly]

It will depend on the hen. My Polish went back to her own business after about 4 weeks, but my Cochin didn't lay an egg until 11 weeks, and went right back to brooding by 12-13 weeks.

Thanks - i hope she stays broody. I would really like to have a sitting hen to hatch out chicks. She is a really good momma hen, very protective.

 

[AriadneCastro]

I have a question for the most experienced:

Someone told me that the daughters of a Silkie, even when they are cross-bred with *whatever*, will always be excellent broodies. Is this true?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any input on whether I should try to move my broody and nest?

Info- She is under the house and I haven't seen the nest yet. She has been sitting at least a week, but I am not sure how long before I noticed she wasn't in the coop. Probably not more than a couple of days. She doesn't come out very often, my daughter has only seen her a couple of times. So she has no food or drink close by and I'm kinda afraid to add food as it could possibly attract predators or varmints.

So do I have to worry about killing the eggs if I do move them? I know to handle gently, but don't know if they can make it back to their same position in the nest. I would have someone crawl under there and it's dark so probably won't try to mark them or anything. If I do move it, should I try candling?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[NanaKat]

Any input on whether I should try to move my broody and nest?

Info- She is under the house and I haven't seen the nest yet. She has been sitting at least a week, but I am not sure how long before I noticed she wasn't in the coop. Probably not more than a couple of days. She doesn't come out very often, my daughter has only seen her a couple of times. So she has no food or drink close by and I'm kinda afraid to add food as it could possibly attract predators or varmints.

So do I have to worry about killing the eggs if I do move them? I know to handle gently, but don't know if they can make it back to their same position in the nest. I would have someone crawl under there and it's dark so probably won't try to mark them or anything. If I do move it, should I try candling?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Your hen is coming out for food and water, but you are correct about food attracting critters and worse a predator can get her off the nest.
I found a hen late one night on a nest in a flower bed under a huge patch of cannas. She had been missing for two weeks and I just happened to spot her returning to the nest when I took the dogs for their 10:30 pm walk. I chose to wait until morning to move her...bad choice. A coyote took her from the nest in the night. I was able to hatch 4 of the remaining 5 eggs in the incubator.

If you attempt to move the eggs and hen, set up a brood cage or pen with a lid in your coop because she will attempt to abandon the eggs to return to her selected spot under the house. Take an egg carton with you to hold the eggs for their protection during the move. Put her eggs in the cage on a nest of hay. Put her in the cage and hopefully she will go right to the eggs and settle in. If not, leave her to eat and drink and she will walk the pen until she tires. She will then cover her eggs.
The eggs are moved by the hen every time she settles back on the nest and are not in any particular position. It does not hurt the eggs to cool down unless they are of weak fertility.
Candle the eggs at about 10 days and remove any that are not developing. She will do the rest.

 

[JaeG]

Any input on whether I should try to move my broody and nest?

Info- She is under the house and I haven't seen the nest yet. She has been sitting at least a week, but I am not sure how long before I noticed she wasn't in the coop. Probably not more than a couple of days. She doesn't come out very often, my daughter has only seen her a couple of times. So she has no food or drink close by and I'm kinda afraid to add food as it could possibly attract predators or varmints.

So do I have to worry about killing the eggs if I do move them? I know to handle gently, but don't know if they can make it back to their same position in the nest. I would have someone crawl under there and it's dark so probably won't try to mark them or anything. If I do move it, should I try candling?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Move her at night in the dark so that she sits all night in her new nest and should wake up in the morning thinking she's been there all along. Make sure she cannot see her old nesting spot or anything near it or she will try and get back there and abandon the eggs. Make sure she is separated from your other hens as they are more inclined to eat well when on their own and the other hens will try and lay in her nest, potentially damaging your developing eggs, as well as upsetting your broody. I've brought broodies inside before (I have bantams so they don't take up much room). One went broody in winter and I thought she would get over it quickly being brought inside to be fussed over by the kids (I had nothing for her to sit on) but she was still sitting at 10 weeks and had no intention of giving up! So I caved and gave her some newly hatched Silkie chicks from a breeder nearby.

Goodluck with moving your girl. There's nothing cuter than a mother chicken looking after her brood.

 

[HSMomma3]

Hi BYC friends!

Thank you so much for all this great info, it is so helpful for those of us still learning!

I have a question about my Buff Orpington Momma who has been broody for at least 16 days (she began setting while we were out of town so we're not sure exactly when she started) -- She is nice and comfy in one of the nest boxes inside the chicken house, near the food and water, safe from predators, and with 9 other boxes free for the other girls to lay in. So my question is this, do I need to separate her from the other girls and the rooster?, now?, or after the chicks hatch? Will the others in the flock harm the babies once they hatch? (Do I need to be watching/"policing"?) Also, the nest she is setting in is not at "floor level", it's up on the second row of nest boxes ... when they hatch do I need to move them down onto the floor of the house? Will Momma do that?

OK sorry, that is more than one question.

But thank you in advance for any advice!! This is our first hatch and our whole family is so excited! I just want to make sure we know what to do.

Thanks y'all!!