broody questions

[mzgarden]

So we have one bird that went broody 20 days ago (tomorrow's the big day).  Interestingly enough, when she got up one time and left the nurse for a walk about - I counted 17 eggs.    It appears other hens were going to her and laying their eggs on the ground next to her and she was adding them to her clutch.   Now we have two more that have gone broody - and we're taking their eggs.  I've tried dunking them in cold water to cool their bellies - no change.

I have two options I'm considering:
1.  get two wire cages and put one non-working broody bird in each for a couple days.
2.  wait to see if some of the 17 eggs begin to hatch, take a few chicks and give them to the other broody hens to raise.

I'm leaning toward re-homing newly hatched chicks to waiting broodies since the original 21 days ought to be up tomorrow.

We've only ever had a bird go broody once, a couple years ago, so I've never moved chicks to a new Momma before.
What would you do?

[Bear Foot Farm]

The sure way to stop them is giving the chicks to raise.

Next time try putting a pencil mark on the eggs so you can keep track of when they are laid

[mzgarden]

Thanks Bear Foot. We knew she had 5 to start with and then 10 days later I spotted the big clutch - I just stood there and stared. Holy smokes. You're right, next time we need to mark the eggs with symbols for dates so we can anticipate hatching dates properly.

so instead of trying to take eggs from one broody and give them to another - wait and give them chicks -- ok, thanks, I wasn't sure.

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 1:21:45 GMT mzgarden said:

Thanks Bear Foot. We knew she had 5 to start with and then 10 days later I spotted the big clutch - I just stood there and stared. Holy smokes. You're right, next time we need to mark the eggs with symbols for dates so we can anticipate hatching dates properly.

so instead of trying to take eggs from one broody and give them to another - wait and give them chicks -- ok, thanks, I wasn't sure.

Do you feel the hen will stay on this nest for days and days to hatch these eggs? She will hatch a few----then she will have to leave the nest to raise her chicks, then you will have a nest full of eggs that are at different stages laying there---dying unless you do something. The hen might not pay the hatched chicks any attention----to busy trying to hatch the rest with more added daily----then if you do not help----you will probably loose the chicks.

[mzgarden]

To fireman, exactly my concern, just not sure which to move, unhatched eggs or newly hatched chick's especially since I don't know which eggs will hatch when. Guess as we get chick's, we can move them under the other birds to raise and let the first hatch the remaining eggs.

[Deleted]

May 27, 2015 11:41:19 GMT mzgarden said:

To fireman, exactly my concern, just not sure which to move, unhatched eggs or newly hatched chick's especially since I don't know which eggs will hatch when. Guess as we get chick's, we can move them under the other birds to raise and let the first hatch the remaining eggs.

Well you need to stop anymore eggs from being layed in the nest or she could be on that nest a long time-----either by fixing her nest where she has a small place to get off the nest and eat etc but no other chickens can get in her nest----or Move her "properly" or mark the eggs that are in the nest now and remove any unmarked eggs daily.

Taking chicks away from her and giving them to other hens most of the time leads to the death of the chick----most hens will not accept them. You need to get you a brooder set-up and brood them yourself. I could Not or would not Deal with what you got there----so to keep from having to-----from the beginning----I simply mark the eggs and set her with all fresh layed marked eggs----I remove any new/unmarked egg from her nest daily-- then ALL the eggs under her that are fertile/good will hatch around the same time----she comes off the nest with all her new chicks-----No Problems.

Just for info I have hatching pens----all broody hens are moved to these private pens so they are not bothered and do not have eggs layed in their nest----then I do not have to look under her daily. Moving a hen can be tricky----if done wrong she will abandon her eggs.

[mzgarden]

Good information and thank you. We have penned her in a separate area to prevent more eggs, but we definitely have not experienced this before so we're on a learning curve. Your information is helpful and we're going to make sure this doesn't repeat. thanks again.

[aoconnor]

Same issue I have. One Silkie hen went broody on two eggs nestled in a stall in my barn. I see her daily, but until I yesterday I hadn't seen her off her nest....which now includes about 10 eggs total....I know my other little Silkie hen in the barn has to have contributed to the nest, but I don't know how many or when.

Both hens had a co-nest with 7 eggs, they would each sit on however many they could get under them when the other hen got off for a break. My peacock went and broke up that nest and several of the eggs, so I got them protected from him (and then he got eaten by a coyote a few days later), and the hens sat on two remaining eggs. Those are the two eggs that I saw, and only one hen is on the large nest now. Sigh, I have no idea, but eventually I will hear peepers in the barn. To keep them safe from horse feet, I will take all but one away and brood them, leaving mamma hen to raise a chick as she wants. I may leave 2 chicks if the other hen will raise one, but if only one hen takes responsibility of the chicks I will only leave one there for her. Next time I have a barn hen go broody, I am going to partition her off completely and then at least I will know how many eggs she has laid and is sitting on. Much less aggravating!!

[Deleted]

May 28, 2015 12:22:08 GMT aoconnor said:

Next time I have a barn hen go broody, I am going to partition her off completely and then at least I will know how many eggs she has laid and is sitting on. Much less aggravating!!

Yea I move all my broody's----but partitioning them off is good. Talking about eggs under her------Probably 95% of the time my broodies are not sitting on "their' eggs---They are usually setting on the eggs I put under them which are more "special eggs" things like speckled sussex, polish, black copper, etc, etc.