What if she continues to be broody?

[flocksalot]

I have the same problem with one of my bantam brahmas! My 'Broody Queen' has set herself up in her favorite nest, and fluffs up like a little turkey at anything passing by. She's been there for two weeks with nothing under her, for we have 8 chickens in the coop and 8 chicks in the garage, in other words-max. capacity.

My worry is that she isn't getting enough to eat. I do force her off the nest daily for some outside time and to give her a chance to eat and drink, but she has lost some weight and it looking kinda peaky. Before going broody, she had gained some more weight to hold her over during incubation, but she's not incubating anything at all.... If I leave her there and hope she quits, would she eventually get over herself and stop setting? Or will she keep sitting there, starving herself until she's sick?

I suppose I could give her some hatching eggs, but could she last sitting for another three weeks, when she's already lost so much weight?

The broodies will get off their eggs or empty nests a couple of times a day to eat drink and do their business (which is the most awful smelling poo ever) and then right back at it. They do loose weight during this time and occasionally do starve themselves to death. One of my broodies sat on a batch of eggs that were all bad until they started exploding and I took them away (far far away ugh). Still broody so I then let her have some fresh eggs and she sat them until she got two babies. Then she was done. All told she sat around 8 weeks. She was pretty skinny by the time she came out with the kids. I always give them some corn to help sustain them and it makes their poo not so runny. I also give them broiler grower as it gives them a bit extra to keep going. Of couse you should switch to a chick starter once there are chicks involved. Some girls will give up after a few weeks and some will sit and sit. The fluffing is her way of showing she is hugh and don't mess with her. Forcing her off the nest more often can help break her if that's what you want. Are your chicks too old to pop under her at night? I think the recomended is like 3 days or so, but I integrated a 3 week old chick with a momma once. She did ok but it wasn't the best.

You could also see if there is another BYC member in your area that would like some of their eggs hatched and taken care of for them for a short period of time ( I would expect them to pay for feed though). My momma raised chicks are much stronger and healthier, but a whole lot more flighty and difficult to catch.

Best of luck!

 

[gram of five]

I have a barred rock that has been broody over the last couple of weeks. I don't have room for any more right now so I keep taking the eggs from under her. She is so patient with me and only makes a soft little sound. I did see her off the nest over the weekend, she sat in the nest next to it, waited for the others to lay their eggs and bang, went back to the nest with 5 eggs. Sneaky sneaky!! I went in and removed them tho.

I am just trying to wait it out. Somehow I just feel they need to do things naturally in their own time. I do give her treats when I bring the others in at night and when I give them something in the morning I give her a piece of two of the cooked eggs or oats with whey. She eats it and seems fine, I think she gets off the nest during the day while I am at work. The water is right next to her box, I am pretty sure that she is drinking also.

I am glad to see this is all normal and do appreciate all the posts here so I know she will be ok.

We are building a new larger run this year, so maybe next time I can let her hatch a couple......................

 

[Chic_girl]

Thank you very much, Flocksalot! Your information is very reassuring. I trust her to stop eventually, but she will be stubborn about it.
I think I'll start leaving scratch next to her while she's still setting, and if I give her eggs, I have an old dog crate she can take over. For now, I'll wait it out, and keep taking her off the nest.

I admit, I did try giving her some of my chicks two weeks ago, when they were 2 weeks old, but she fluffed up, screeched, and tried to attack them. I was afraid she would be too aggressive and hurt them, so I put the chicks back with their fellows. I wonder if it was because they were two old for her liking, not her chicks, or simply invaders?

 

[Geckochick]

This is exactly what is happening with my broody barred rock. She is not being aggressive, kind of mutters at me as I take the eggs or lift her off the nest to close the nesting boxes. She settles for a bit on the ground and then goes about her business of eating and drinking and all. We close the boxes mid-afternoon so she has to eat and then goes and roosts with the other ladies. But first thing in the morning, she is back at it and will move to sit on other eggs when I take her eggs.

I have a barred rock that has been broody over the last couple of weeks. I don't have room for any more right now so I keep taking the eggs from under her. She is so patient with me and only makes a soft little sound. I did see her off the nest over the weekend, she sat in the nest next to it, waited for the others to lay their eggs and bang, went back to the nest with 5 eggs. Sneaky sneaky!! I went in and removed them tho.

I am just trying to wait it out. Somehow I just feel they need to do things naturally in their own time. I do give her treats when I bring the others in at night and when I give them something in the morning I give her a piece of two of the cooked eggs or oats with whey. She eats it and seems fine, I think she gets off the nest during the day while I am at work. The water is right next to her box, I am pretty sure that she is drinking also.

I am glad to see this is all normal and do appreciate all the posts here so I know she will be ok.

We are building a new larger run this year, so maybe next time I can let her hatch a couple......................

 

[flocksalot]

Thank you very much, Flocksalot! Your information is very reassuring. I trust her to stop eventually, but she will be stubborn about it.
I think I'll start leaving scratch next to her while she's still setting, and if I give her eggs, I have an old dog crate she can take over. For now, I'll wait it out, and keep taking her off the nest.

I admit, I did try giving her some of my chicks two weeks ago, when they were 2 weeks old, but she fluffed up, screeched, and tried to attack them. I was afraid she would be too aggressive and hurt them, so I put the chicks back with their fellows. I wonder if it was because they were two old for her liking, not her chicks, or simply invaders?

Probably the chicks were too old. If you ever try adding chicks again you need to do it in the dark of night and be there in the morning to see if she accepts them. Even a good momma can reject a chick or two on occasion. I remember my very first broody. I was so excited and it was hatch day. The broody had been standing over her eggs for the last couple of days as they heated up to hatch. I was glued to the spot.

I saw the first one zipping and then it shoved out of the shell. The broody had been sleeping and woke up with a start. She reached under her grabbed that baby and flung it out from under her. She had been startled and didn't realize it was a chick. My parents said she probably thought it was a mouse. Anyway she was great with the rest of them, but I was ever vigilant waiting for her to leave them so I could be momma. Never happened. Broody hens are hysterical to say the least. I think most of my deep bonds with our hens are with the ones that go broody. I seem so spend much more time with them getting them to trust and accept me, so I can examine (really more play) the chicks and make sure all are doing well. My broodies with sit calmly and let me handle them and don't attack me when I pick up a chick. They do cluck, but that is what they should do. Now if another hen comes around all bets are off. Those broodies can get down right nasty. Roosters are accepted for the most part though.

Good luck with your girl!

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

3 weeks ago, I had a hen go broody, she had 3 eggs, and sat of them for about a week (in the coop with 4 nest boxes). Some of the other hens came in & tried to sit on top of her, after a week of that, she moved to another nest box & the three eggs she was on got cold. Only one of the 3 was fertile.
In the nest box she moved to, she again was sitting on eggs, so to avoid the hassle of her being pestered by the other hens, I quick made a brooder box for her. A small wooden pallet for the floor, with a plywood base on top of it. a 12 x 12 x 12 nest box, and a door to get in & out of. I told my hubby when it was done, I will get the hen, he gets the eggs. She was very good & only growled, never pecked or tried to get away. Out of the 6 eggs she was sitting on, 2 got kicked out (and they were fertile)

.
Then last week, another hen went broody, but she is still in the main coop, she is sitting on 6 eggs. I wonder, do I need to make her a separate home after the chicks are born, so that the other hens do not hurt them. I can make another box, but would I need to have a separate run for her & the other broody mamma & her chicks.

 

[flocksalot]

3 weeks ago, I had a hen go broody, she had 3 eggs, and sat of them for about a week (in the coop with 4 nest boxes). Some of the other hens came in & tried to sit on top of her, after a week of that, she moved to another nest box & the three eggs she was on got cold. Only one of the 3 was fertile.
In the nest box she moved to, she again was sitting on eggs, so to avoid the hassle of her being pestered by the other hens, I quick made a brooder box for her. A small wooden pallet for the floor, with a plywood base on top of it. a 12 x 12 x 12 nest box, and a door to get in & out of. I told my hubby when it was done, I will get the hen, he gets the eggs. She was very good & only growled, never pecked or tried to get away. Out of the 6 eggs she was sitting on, 2 got kicked out (and they were fertile)

.
Then last week, another hen went broody, but she is still in the main coop, she is sitting on 6 eggs. I wonder, do I need to make her a separate home after the chicks are born, so that the other hens do not hurt them. I can make another box, but would I need to have a separate run for her & the other broody mamma & her chicks.

Well there are a few things that could go right with this. First I have had two girls that had hatches on the same day co-parent their brood together, so it can work. The problem would arise if one thinks the other has stolen her chicks or even eggs. Sometimes they will switch nests back and forth if they can see the other nest, or they will come flying out of the nest to kick butt on the other hen when she goes to eat or drink. Usually they get over that pretty quick, but I would put get them situated on a day when you can keep an eye on them. Now if they aren't set to hatch on the same day the later one may abandon her eggs in favor of playing with the chicks (yeah, like we don't want to skip work so we can too!), so you would need to keep an eye on that. The reason my one hen sat on dead eggs is because she made them die. Ezmeralda was below her in a divided coop, and Drucilla could hear those babies just a peeping. Ezzy had 10 babies to hatch and it took three whole days. During that time Drucilla was desperately trying to get to the babies she was sure were hers, and abandoning the eggs she had been setting. As soon as Ezzy took her babies out to the run Drucilla once again started setting her eggs. Her hatch was due in a week, but she had just killed them all. So we started her all over again and a good momma she was mothering those kids til well after they were full grown. We always said she worked double duty to get them, and she wasn't ever going to give them up.

So I would say you could try it, but keep a keen eye on how things are progressing. I personally would probably just set up a second area with food and water. They don't really need much for a run while they are brooding. Just an area to poop so they don't go in their food and water. I did a similar thing as you are talking with two broodies that hated each other, but I put a fence in the middle. They shared the food and the water as I used pans and situated them halfway on each side. After they brooded and were running around the yard with their chicks they would hang out in the same areas. After they were all done being momma they started perching together. Now they are the best of friends even sharing tidbits. It's really cute.

You can solve the eggs rolling out with a 1x3 or even a short piece of plywood across the bottom front of the nest box. Even a few 2x4s stacked in front will work if the hen has enough room to get out when needed. You want something that is higher than the actual nest. Then the eggs can't roll out when she is moving them about. I use a lip on all my nest boxes as sometimes I will have close to 3 dozen of the 7 1/2 daily pick in one nest box. My screwy girls hate fake eggs and will toss them out or push them off to the side, but if another hen has laid an egg that is the best place to lay. That lip will also help keep the chicks in as they hatch. They are learning to use those legs and just keep moving until they hit a barrier. That should help you not find dead chicks outside of the nest box which of course is very frustrating.

On another note my Lucy Lu is due to hatch next week! There was no room at the inn as all my broody houses and boxes are full up from me hatching eggs and other broodies with chick, so I had to put her in the middle of the coop in a wire dog cage. She could care less, as all she wants is to sit the eggs. All the commotion going on around her and 3 week olds in the pen in front of her mean absolutely nothing. She is busy planning college funds or whatever it is chickens think about.

 

[flocksalot]

I forgot about the separate pen. Depends on your chickens. I usually keep the hen and her chicks separate for about a week. Sometimes a little longer depending on the hen. I make sure the other hens can come see all the commotion. Usually in our case the hens just want to eat the baby food and could care less about the little fuzz balls, but momma will go pick fights. With them being able to see each other and the chicks it helps cut down on the momma bear over reactions. Once I let them run all over the farm the other hens could care less where they go all they still want is the baby food. So Momma runs off with her brood and the fat girls eat all the baby food, so I have to keep and eye on whether momma and babies want back into the coop for their food or water. Usually buy week three they will just go in and ignore the old ladies taking up residence. Then they wander off again and the fat ladies continue to chow down on baby food. Silly girls will even eat the tiny chick grit. The grass is always greener........

Roosters will usually help if there is an aggressive hen around. They will give her a good peck on the head. Then of course they like to strut around and crow about their little itty bitty babies. They will even help find food for the little ones.