We have our first broody hen.

[ChickenCanoe]

What do you mean by, "there is no safe place for her in the coop"?

 

[Cre8joy]

What do you mean by, "there is no safe place for her in the coop"?

I didn't have a place to put her. We are currently expanding into a bigger coop and there wasn't room for her. The coop is perfectly safe the problem is none of the other chickens would leave her alone. I had a duck go broody and the chooks broke her eggs and killed the only duckling she hatched. I didn't want to leave this mama and she had his herself away. I'm just happy I found her and beyond happy she hatched her brood.

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

One of my BLRW just went broody so now I’m trying to read broody threads to figure out what to do and what to expect. Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you take out the eggs that weren’t viable at some point? If so when should I do that? She have quite a few eggs under her and I know not all the maran eggs are fertile as my rooster does not like her. I also have a Brahma rooster. I hear that’s a strong color gene. Will most or all of the babies look like him? He’s my only rooster.

 

[Cre8joy]

One of my BLRW just went broody so now I’m trying to read broody threads to figure out what to do and what to expect. Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you take out the eggs that weren’t viable at some point? If so when should I do that? She have quite a few eggs under her and I know not all the maran eggs are fertile as my rooster does not like her. I also have a Brahma rooster. I hear that’s a strong color gene. Will most or all of the babies look like him? He’s my only rooster.

I have a Brahma roo as well. He is a light. We also have two muts we hatched last year a polish a bantam Cochin and a Rhode island red roo. We've hatched all sorts of color combos. I had a white egg (from either a leghorn or a California) hatch as a black chick. We did take the infertile eggs from her when we candled. She was a gracious mama and let us handle her eggs and newly hatched chicks. She's been a fantastic mama this whole time. We now currently have a rose comb bantam and a salmon favorelle sitting. Last summer and the year before no broody hens this year everyone wants babies. LOL

 

[Cre8joy]

Has anyone had any luck giving a broody hen chicks? My rose comb bantam has been sitting for 18 days. we candled her eggs and none of them are good. she won't get up and she bites me when i try to take the eggs. I haven't touched them. Should I try to give her a few chicks to raise she seems very committed to these eggs. I've never had broody hens now we have several. I'm not prepared lol

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

Has anyone had any luck giving a broody hen chicks? My rose comb bantam has been sitting for 18 days. we candled her eggs and none of them are good. she won't get up and she bites me when i try to take the eggs. I haven't touched them. Should I try to give her a few chicks to raise she seems very committed to these eggs. I've never had broody hens now we have several. I'm not prepared lol

What did you end up doing? I’ve heard of people being able to swap the eggs for chicks at night. My broody only hatched 2 chicks and I hatched 6 in the incubator. She accepted all but two. Fortunately she didn’t harm them just wouldn’t let them join her babies. They hid behind the nesting box.

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

These are some of the babies we got. 3 BLR Wyandotte mixes hatched late. I have one Cochin, 2 Easter Eggers, 3 Brahmas, and 1 Spitzhauben mix.

 

[Cre8joy]

What did you end up doing? I’ve heard of people being able to swap the eggs for chicks at night. My broody only hatched 2 chicks and I hatched 6 in the incubator. She accepted all but two. Fortunately she didn’t harm them just wouldn’t let them join her babies. They hid behind the nesting box.

We swapped in the evening and she was over the moon. Began to cluck at them and show them how to chicken. She is such a good mama. A tiny mama but a good mama. Here are two pics from the day she took her babies and like 20 mins ago

 

[Cre8joy]

These are some of the babies we got. 3 BLR Wyandotte mixes hatched late. I have one Cochin, 2 Easter Eggers, 3 Brahmas, and 1 Spitzhauben mix.

So pretty

 

[BY Bob]

A few days ago one of our gorgeous wyndotte hens went missing. I searched my yard in the dark for my missing girl. I couldn't find her. I searched yesterday in the afternoon for feathers or a sign that she had been snatched. Nothing. I was puzzled to stay the least. I was cleaning up around my garage and moved a piece of plywood and was met with a pterodactyl screech. I found my girl on a hidden nest. She was puffed and flat and hoarding 13 eggs. I picked her up and moved her and her eggs into a cat carrier. She now has a nest in a dog crate away from the rest of the flock where she is safe. This is our first rodeo with a broody hen and I'm beyond excited. I candled her eggs and she has about 2 days with them I think. I will candle them again later this week when I do the last candle with the 2 duck eggs currently in my incubator. I will keep this thread updated with pictures and progress. This is a picture of my broody mama Tiger Lily. Wish me luck!View attachment 2052450

Congratulations! I'm doing my first broody as well.