I need advice with hatching from a broody hen!

[humblehillsfarm]

Good to expand so she has room to poop.
A week is a good amount of time.
Broody usually has more problems in flock than chicks, IME,
she has to re-establish her place in the pecking order.
Can be scary, let them work it out.
on your hatch...mine still has 11 days to go.

Thank you! I'm nervous. She's been among the flock daily so they mostly ignore her. I'm hoping that eases her transition back full time but only time will tell. I've decide to at least wait until they've actually hatched and expand. The hen doesn't like the waterer I've put in there and I need more room for my other waterer anyways so it's not optional at all not to expand.

 

[Yav]

I don’t know if this is a stupid question. But what is the harm of having a broody hen? Is it because she is not laying? I’m very chilled about such things - is there any harm in allowing a hen to remain broody?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I don’t know if this is a stupid question. But what is the harm of having a broody hen? Is it because she is not laying? I’m very chilled about such things - is there any harm in allowing a hen to remain broody?

They don't eat or drink enough and are more susceptible to mites. If you don't intend on hatching eggs they may not snap out of it on their own. So yes it can be harmful! It's not a stupid question at all!

 

[Yav]

Sounds like hens have mental issues. Is that the case?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Sounds like hens have mental issues. Is that the case?

No they aren't having mental issues. This is quite normal behavior for any species to feel the desire to have offspring. A hens metabolism slows and her food and water intake decrease because to leave her nest is to endanger her eggs. All quite normal behavior. It is humans who have decided what we think hens should or should not be doing.

 

[Will230145]

I have a broody hen (my profile picture) and she is due tomorrow as well!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have a broody hen (my profile picture) and she is due tomorrow as well!

It's so exciting! Wishing you and mama hen the best of luck! I'm at work today or I'd probably have my head buried in the coop with anticipation.

 

[Ghosty]

I had the same issues you are having this year. Two weeks into her second batch, my broody went to wrong nest again, and the other girls would lay in her nest daily when she went to eat and drink.
From now on, my broodies will get separated. I was just being overly optimistic, because I like for them to be able to get outside and eat greens.
The few times I have had a broody, I've noticed that they eat greens like crazy. If I separate, they can't get access to the outside. The other hens would get in her pen and find her nest in that case, anyway, because they free range.
Next time around, I'm putting her in the chick enclosure, and adding her own door to the run. I'll just pick greens for her to eat.
She ended up hatching two chicks a couple days ago, after being off the nest during most of a chilly day. At least now she is a happy new Mama. Good Luck!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had the same issues you are having this year. Two weeks into her second batch, my broody went to wrong nest again, and the other girls would lay in her nest daily when she went to eat and drink.
From now on, my broodies will get separated. I was just being overly optimistic, because I like for them to be able to get outside and eat greens.
The few times I have had a broody, I've noticed that they eat greens like crazy. If I separate, they can't get access to the outside. The other hens would get in her pen and find her nest in that case, anyway, because they free range.
Next time around, I'm putting her in the chick enclosure, and adding her own door to the run. I'll just pick greens for her to eat.
She ended up hatching two chicks a couple days ago, after being off the nest during most of a chilly day. At least now she is a happy new Mama. Good Luck!
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Aw is she a welsummer?? My little welsummer is one of my favorite hens. She went broody one day and when I took her eggs I guess she decided she was calling it quits. I manually let my hen in and out of her enclosure twice a day. Her routine is usually to gobble up grass as well! After grass she either drinks or takes a dust bath then goes to eat and I let her back in her enclosure. She knows where it is so I just open the door to let her in. I have food and water in there for her but she largely ignored it. But yeah after all of my anxiety and fear of her getting on the wrong nest, all future broodies will have their own space!

 

[aart]

She's been among the flock daily so they mostly ignore her.

Then it might be good to just leave her and not confine her.