Broodies on the Homestead

[sumi]

My flock can do with some growth! I'm down to two hens at the moment. I was going to wait until I got the shed completed before getting more birds, but I guess it will take her 3 weeks if she stays put and gets good eggs…

 

[frustratedearthmother]

There ya go! You have a three week deadline, lol.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

We recently we're were given 5 Golden Comets. On day 2, one disappeared. A week later, suddenly she showed back up. I found out yesterday she had gotten separated from the group, and hung out at a widowed neighbor lady's house for a week. She even went up on her deck and laid an egg for her delighted host. Now I'll know where to look the next time one goes missing.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Broody hens can be extremely helpful. I just now saw this thread and want to share this article from nearly two years ago! We used a broody hen to hatch ducklings for two years straight.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/hatching-with-a-surrogate-hen-zbcz1608

I was blessed to also have it published in GRIT's most recent edition of Guide to Backyard Chickens (7th Edition I believe it was!)

https://www.grit.com/store/product/grit-guide-to-backyard-chickens-7th-edition

I do however want to ask if anyone here has had a problem with hens eating the eggs, or waiting until they hatch to consume the young. Our second year, this happened to almost all of the dozen eggs she had under her.

 

[sumi]

Broodies can be unpredictable like that. I had an old hen go broody and the one chick we managed to rescue from her or the rest of the flock killing, she rejected. She went broody again about 3 years later and she was a wonderful mom second time round.

 

[Mini Horses]

DS found her!! She was sitting on a hidden nest outside, as I thought (hoped) she was.

 

[Mini Horses]

A follow up on my saga of two hens on a nest.

Today I am off work and told myself I HAD to get this corrected as I would otherwise have an even bigger mess. Armed with determination, I set up one of the broody houses (a large dog house) and appropriate fence surround to contain the chicks. Then I went to the barn to "collect". Well BOTH hens were huddled tightly and went ballistic when I chose to collect the chicks into a deep bucket to transport.

I was actually attacked! Dive bombed!! Both going at me. Got 4 chicks and grabbed a hen. At this point I figured it didn't matter which one. Carted them out to their new digs and watched that they settled in ok. Yep hen called and chicks collected under her! After a few, went back to barn to see how mom #2 was handling it. She was on the nest and began growling, ruffling, ready to fight me.

Feeling glad it was cool enough that I had a light jacket on me to protect my arms, I quietly reached in to slide a couple eggs back under her that had been in the nest extension for other hen to help. 2 were warm & as I slid them she stood to attack, at which point I hear some chirping. Bravely grabbed ruffle-butt hen, to look. Another was hatching, so gently set her down where she snuggled onto the eggs, still angry. Felt she would set a couple more days and maybe a few more would hatch. Had lost a chick I saw, with all the two of them moving, etc. 3 eggs were in a corner, cool to touch, so those will be tossed -- tonight, after dark! Will snatch new chick(s) and slide under #1 with others.

Hen #3 still on nest in another stall feeder and in a day or two I will add any eggs from under hen #2 to nest of #3. Then I will either cage hen 2 to break up her broodiness OR pen her with more eggs. She is the hen who "added" herself into the original broody nester, so has not been setting the entire time. Thus, another nest would not be an issue.

So far, no chicks hatching from hen #4 in the big trailer. But approx 15 eggs there. Will hatch ETA within 10 dys. Trying to correct my sloppy start & get something from these gals because they aren't laying.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

What a broody mess, lol! Glad you got it kinda, sorta, mostly sorted out! Chicken can be such a pia, lol!

 

[sumi]

Goodness, that is a bit of a mess! lol In future, when you have a broody sitting, mark her eggs with a non-toxic marker of some sorts, so you can see which eggs have been added, if any.

Don't toss the cold eggs, they may still be o.k. Chick embryos are tough little things! I had a broody misplace an egg once, it rolled out of the coop, into the rain. I don't know how long it was out there, getting drenched. I replaced it under her and the chick hatched fine and on time.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, guess won't hurt to slide them back under. Who knows?!? At this point, all are fair game. Eventually, come Fall I will have replacement hens and ready to freezer camp roos.

Gotta go milk goats......been a long, busy, tough day. Farming ain't for the faint of heart.