Who's got a broody hen?

[Redhead Rae]

Our cuckoo Maran is setting on nothing for the last week and one of our Turkey hens has a setting "hobby" I'm not sure her eggs will hatch at all she gets up a lot and spends at least half the day off the nest. I guess it COULD happen but I'm not expecting anything.

I would candle the turkey eggs after about a week/week and a half. It wouldn't be fun if the eggs went bad and broke.

 

[AGmom]

My husband has been candling them he says the fertile ones just look dark inside no visible forms as of yet.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

My broodies are determined and bothersome...

Like last year it looks like we'll be breaking them from brooding right into fall. Really got to breed this over brood trait out of this variety.

 

[AGmom]

Our black silkie refuses to set on the still developing eggs now that there are chicks she keeps getting in with our seabrite and the 3 chicks. Our Maran saw her chance to take over and is now setting on the last 3 we were incubating. Leaving our sultan bantam trying to set on 2 brand new eggs which we will be confiscating shortly we (may) give her two duck eggs to hatch she hatched 4 ducks last year but gave up "raising them" around a month after hatch she HATED there love of water and propensity to soak and stink up the cage lol.

 

[SpinningJenny]

I've got one broody barred rock, Kitty. She first went broody over her own infertile eggs, then I got 8 fertile eggs from a friend and gave them to her. Well, she sat on them for 3 days, then decided she didn't like them any more. I checked them after a week: blood rings in every. single. one. GRRRRRR. KITTY! Then, of course, I got busy, and didn't collect for a few days so (since all 6 of my chickens only lay in one of the nest boxes because they think it's the best one...) she had a nice large clutch and OF COURSE she sat right down on them again. ARRRGGGHHH. Got ANOTHER batch of fertile eggs for her and FINALLY she's sitting on them consistently. I gave her 5, and she stayed on for 3 days so I gave her another 5 and she's doing well. The remaining are cooking away in the incubator, and she will get the chicks when they hatch!

So, anyone in the Chicago area interested in some mixed breed chicken mutts (Polish, silkie, frizzle, all small breeds) in a month or two? I anticipate our little 1/8 acre being over run with adoptable pullets/cockerels!.

 

[MageofMist]

My Silkie hen has gone broody again, leaving her poor rooster to sleep alone. XP When he isn't with his hen, he is much more relaxed and docile, so I just picked him up and carried him to rest with his children from the previous hatch she brooded, they are about 2 months old and picked on the rooster at first due to his more laid back temperament, though after I poked them and pushed them a little a few times when they pecked on the rooster's comb and wattle, they soon learned to stop and instead started cuddling up to him and being cute little marshmallows.

I guess they were getting revenge as the roo did chase them yesterday when out on the yard. I am hoping to use the hen being preoccupied with her 4 eggs to get the current chicks and the rooster to bond.

 

[mikeandike]

I have a Buff Orphington that went broody last week. She got a dozen eggs from our own collection. Then yesterday I found one of my little bantam hens on a pile of eggs in the last box. She couldn't even cover them all. So I pulled most of them out and left her 5 to hatch. 2 are from the bantam trio and 3 are from the big hens.

 

[stuckinthecity]

My Wyandotte hen and chicks

 

[meetthebubus]

I have a black Jersey Giant as my rooster so hopefully there not ALL black! Ha!

You should enter him 8n the handsome rooster thread!

 

[meetthebubus]

I have the same girl going broody on me every other day it seems! I can't let her for multiple reasons the main one being it's too hot at 105 F for her to be in the box for hours on end.

My little "baby" Clucky is all grown up she used to drop her egg wherever in the house or try to get in the same box with another hen but this week she went broody and she was determined for awhile kept going back after I removed her and the eggs, final time she had Roo, stand guard inside it was too cute!