broody hen

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how can you tell,, if a hen is going broody,,, when you collect the eggs a few times a day? I have some that peck, and has been since day one. Coos and clucks,,, some do that all the time also? I started collecting eggs more often,, when egg eating started up,,, but now that Spring should be here soon ( HOPEFULLY),, how can I tell?

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 26, 2002

Answers

Hi Stan. I have always gathered a few eggs, put them in one nest and walked away. It never fails, a hen who goes in to lay an egg ends up sitting on the eggs until they hatch. My Buff Orpingtons are the broodiest hens I've ever had. I have to make sure I gather all the eggs or they would all be sitting.

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 26, 2002.

good question. same thing has been running through my mind the past few days although Spring seems pretty far away in these parts. my buffs are starting to act like they want to stay put the past week or so.

if you take george's advice I'd recommend marking the eggs somehow. late last fall one of my buffs went broody. I left her alone as much as possible until, 20 days along, I watched her get off the nest and discovered she was sitting on 21 eggs. all but one of them WHITE. seems my leghorn pullet had been squeezing into the nest each day & laying an egg. I ended up putting the white eggs in an incubator and hatched out most of them (one every day or two for what seemed like forever) and decided then and there to pay closer attention in the future.

whatever happened with that broken leg chicken of yours? make it?

-- B. Lackie - Zone3 (cwrench@hotmail.com), February 26, 2002.


A hen that's broody will sit in a nestbox whether eggs are there or not! They come off the nest once a day or so to eat/drink/poop.

One of my hens has been broody for almost 2 months. When I collect eggs, I also take those that are under her 'cause I don't want reproduction at this time. This hen is really funny. She'll sit on the empty nest until the other hens lay again, and then she'll go into the nestbox with the most eggs. She's in a different nestbox every time I go out there!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), February 26, 2002.


I have a couple, ,that will only lay when another egg is in the best,, then they will sit of them all,, until I come along and take them,, but they have been doing this since day one,, and my banties havent laid or sat on any yet,, was waiting for them as an indicator,, but no change from them yet. The broken legg hen,,is doing well,,kept her inside for 2 weeks, excercised her daily,, she still limps, ,and runs funs,,like the hitler youth marching,, but seems to get along fine

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 26, 2002.

When a hen is truly broody, she will stay on the nest full time, except to get up once or twice a day for maybe twenty minutes, to eat and poop, maybe run about, and run back. Her breast will be plucked, and when she is off the nest, she will fluff her feathers up and strut about like a turkey. As mentioned above, a hen will brood with or without eggs. Sometimes they will seem to sit a little longer each day. I always waited until a hen actually stayed on the nest overnight, then gave her eggs to brood. It is much preferable if a hen can be separated from the others during her brooding. Otherwise, the others will not only continue to lay eggs on top of her, eventually busting one, and fouling the nest, but may peck her terribly when she refuses to give up the nest.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 26, 2002.


I start saving up "rotating"(ie 13 eggs that I keep trading the oldest/smaller eggs out of) clutch when my birds start hanging in the nests...I let one set when she stays fluffed up and clucking on the floor when forcably removed from the nest. I wire my birds in on their clutches and let them out at least once a day when I feed(they have a water cup in with them). My first clutch hatched this past weekend and I got seven out of 12(2fully developed but did not hatch,3 unfertilized)...good luck!

-- Bee White (bee@hereintown.net), February 27, 2002.

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