Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Why in the world are my girls suddenly starting to lay on the floor of the coop! They are driving me batty!

It's like an Easter egg hunt around here - I find their eggs next to the stool that is under the nestbox area. There are eggs in the back of the coop next to the bale of alfalfa. I am occassionally finding them in the nest boxes, but the latest fun place to lay is apparently on the coop floor.

And Smokey is lingering in her new chosen nest/laying area just a little too long for my liking - doesn't she realize this is winter - yes it's 50F outside this week during the day - but it won't be like that for the next 21 days. Soon we WILL have cooler weather and she will be mighty cold sitting down there on that nest trying to hatch those eggs. And she'd have to raise them in the cold!

Broodies...

My girls will occasionally lay an egg in the ducks sleeping area and then I usually find the egg when i go in to stir up the bedding, so i try to keep the doors to the ducks bedrooms closed, I am wondering if the warmer weather we have had so far this fall hasn't gotten them a bit confused> but then again i think you have obsessed hen who just likes to brood. lol

 

[bobbieschicks]

Remember these two? Topsy hatched them. Smokey's baby silkies I sold along with my silkie roo Davy as a package deal.





The Partridge was obviously a cockerel early on with his crow and bright red comb and he's now the alpha roo of the flock, but we were on the fence about the Buff Silkie until now - it's a pullet and she finally laid her 1st egg!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...y-or-crow-pullet-we-have-an-egg#post_10069569

 

[stonykill]

Remember these two? Topsy hatched them. Smokey's baby silkies I sold along with my silkie roo Davy as a package deal.





The Partridge was obviously a cockerel early on with his crow and bright red comb and he's now the alpha roo of the flock, but we were on the fence about the Buff Silkie until now - it's a pullet and she finally laid her 1st egg!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...y-or-crow-pullet-we-have-an-egg#post_10069569

 

[Miss Lydia]

Remember these two? Topsy hatched them. Smokey's baby silkies I sold along with my silkie roo Davy as a package deal.





The Partridge was obviously a cockerel early on with his crow and bright red comb and he's now the alpha roo of the flock, but we were on the fence about the Buff Silkie until now - it's a pullet and she finally laid her 1st egg!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...y-or-crow-pullet-we-have-an-egg#post_10069569

very pretty too.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

It's said that you can kick them off the nest repeatedly and they'll break. You can also put them in a cage off the ground so that they don't have a nice nest to lounge in. I've not been successful breaking my broodies - so I give them a few eggs to hatch and let them have at it. I can usually sell my extra chicks locally on Craigslist once they're fully feathered.

Thats what some folks do, nothing for them to sleep in so they feel the air up under them. All the best on your broody's keep us informed on how they do and remember not to get carried away and put too many eggs under them especially first time mamas.

I dont think kicking my WLH of the nest will do any thing as she will probably eat my whole leg.lol. SO aggressive, when she puffs up she fill the whole nest box absolutely no spaces. Ive got her in a cage again today so hopefully she'll get over her self.
My RIR bantam broody is a first time mum and I've only put 8 eggs under her, it's only been a week and she is noticeably a better mum than the Sex-Link by far she hasn't come of the nest in 3 days and only came out this morning for a small feed and a drink. How is she holding it all in. While the Sex-Link come out at least twice a day and stays out for ages, and i even have to pick her up and put her back in the nest box my self. My Sex-Link is a first time mama as well and she only has 6 eggs under her.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Just wondering~ how many who have broody hens at this time of year are using artificial lighting in their coops?

 

[stonykill]

Just wondering~ how many who have broody hens at this time of year are using artificial lighting in their coops?

I don't use artificial lighter ever. Period.

And I have a hen, who hatched twice already this year sitting on 4 eggs.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I don't use artificial lighter ever. Period.

And I have a hen, who hatched twice already this year sitting on 4 eggs.

Good to know. Just testing Bee's theory of broodies being "tricked" into brooding not-in-spring by artificial light.
Not at your house!
Thanks, Stony.

 

[stonykill]

Good to know. Just testing Bee's theory of broodies being "tricked" into brooding not-in-spring by artificial light.
Not at your house!
Thanks, Stony.

I just leave golfballs in the nest as I remove eggs. I do this because many of my Sumatra's will hide their eggs elsewhere if eggs are missing. So I take an egg and add up to 4 golf balls over the course of a few days. Then I just leave the 4 golfballs in place and remove new eggs. If she is going to go broody this works for me EVERY time. Leaving ceramic eggs in nests made 3 RIR's and a white leghorn go broody this year. And of course my runner duck Penelope. For my flock this isn't a theory, it is a fact of life. Your results may vary as flock dynamics differ.
I've told Bee about this. She kinda just shrugged it off.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't use artificial light either and since my one bantam went broody back in Oct. no one else has acted broody, just get into the nest box lay their egg Done. Thank goodness they need a break and so do I.