What broodies do you have in your coop?

[nuttyredhead]

Here is Dora, my Silkie. She has been sitting on these eggs for 11 days. This is hers (and mine) first times. She is not quite a year.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Update: I now have 7 new chicks in a broody pen, hatched 1/23. Usually by now I'd have let them into the coop with the flock, but I have a new problem: a cat. He's been pestering the hens so I figure he would make short work of those little bitty chicks. So I let them run around in the coop a while when the cat is in the house.

I have 3 EE's I bought from Ideal via the feed store about 3 years ago. They have never gone broody til the current mama went broody last month. Today I found another one who won't leave the nest to roost and who growls and fluffs!

The broody pen is maybe 5'x6'. Now I have to decide whether to collect eggs and squish another broody nest in there or not.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Update: I now have 7 new chicks in a broody pen, hatched 1/23. Usually by now I'd have let them into the coop with the flock, but I have a new problem: a cat. He's been pestering the hens so I figure he would make short work of those little bitty chicks. So I let them run around in the coop a while when the cat is in the house.

I have 3 EE's I bought from Ideal via the feed store about 3 years ago. They have never gone broody til the current mama went broody last month. Today I found another one who won't leave the nest to roost and who growls and fluffs!

The broody pen is maybe 5'x6'. Now I have to decide whether to collect eggs and squish another broody nest in there or not.

I feel for you. I'm going to try and break my latest broody. Too much madness in the coop. I don't want to hear about your older Ideal hens going broody though. I just don't want to hear it!

 

[kuntrygirl]

1 Black Australop as of this morning. Will be placing about 9 more eggs under her. Let the games begin!!!!

 

[Mrs. K]

Question: If a hen went broody last summer, and raised a clutch, will she do it again?

so far, I have never had a hen go broody in the winter, but I don't have extra light or any added heat, so maybe that is it?

If she would do it late this spring, that would be perfect!

Mrs.K

 

[gritsar]

Mrs. K :

Question: If a hen went broody last summer, and raised a clutch, will she do it again?

so far, I have never had a hen go broody in the winter, but I don't have extra light or any added heat, so maybe that is it?

If she would do it late this spring, that would be perfect!

Mrs.K

I have two broodies right now and another that just hatched hers, plus one that's thinking about it. If they know something about an early spring that I don't, I sure wish they'd share their secrets.
ETA: I should mention that all my broodies are first timers though, so I know I didn't exactly answer your question. Sorry.​

 

[Judy]

Gritsar, there are 3 Black Australorps, a Rock and a BO from the same purchase -- and my EE is still on the nest today. On top of that, when I kicked her off I found a big ol' broody poop in there. She did NOT read the book. Took a lot of chasing and body blocking to get her outdoors. Yeah, I'm going to try to break her, too.

Mrs. K, in my VAST (cough) experience of 5 broodies, they have all been first timers.

 

[Faith Hope]

I have a first time broody with 5 eggs that are at 19 days. We are a little concerned about the weather -- I am near St. Louis, and we are expecting ice and lots of snow over the next couple of days, then temperatures dropping down below zero with high wind. The chicks are due to hatch right at the height of this storm. She is in the coop with the other hens (but separated); will she be able to keep them warm in that kind of weather? We do not have insolation, but I do have a heat lamp to keep the water from freezing. I was considering adding a second heat lamp to her area if she needs it.

Any advice or suggestions? This is our first year with chickens and our first broody. Should I worry?

 

[vfem]

I always seem to have a broody on hand, however, not lately!? I have 5 Silkie hens though, so one is bound to start soon! LOL

Here's one of my black broodies from her hatch last summer:

Only 3 survived.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
If you look back through this thread, you will see some of these broodies are pretty far north. We were around +15 for lows when my bunch hatched in November and they were fine, even running around the coop at a few days old for long periods if not all day. Of course down here my coop has no heat or insulation; actually my coop is pretty open air. That said, I admit that below zero with wind is pretty low. As much as I hate heat lamps in coops, even I would be tempted. Maybe you could at least stop the wind -- is there room for bales of hay and some plywood on top, or something like that?