# Broody Hen



## UncleJoe

We've had a hen sitting on eggs off and on for the last few weeks. Last time I looked there were 8 eggs in the clutch. She hasn't moved since Sunday. Looks like we'll be getting some new chickens in a couple more weeks.


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## bacpacker

I just got a new rooster tonight ( my old one died). And I have a broody hen already sitting on unfertilized eggs. I hope to have that little issue corrected pretty quick and hope to have some little ones running around myself before too long.


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## mosquitomountainman

We've had mixed results with hens. The last hen abandoned the nest after the first three eggs hatched and left the rest to rot. We gave them to the dog and one of the chicks was almost ready to hatch when it got eaten. It was kind of heartbreaking. Most of the others were also close to hatching. We thought later that we should have candled the eggs and tried to finish them off in the oven using the pilot light for a heat source since so many were so close to hatching anyway.

The batch before then were some duck eggs from my daughter. We had two hens sitting on them. It was kind of comical because when one would get up to feed the other would steal all the eggs. That batch hatched out great.

Anyway, congrats. It's really cool to see them hatch.


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## UncleJoe

We didn't have any broody hens last year. In 2011 there were 2 and they too shared the sitting duty. IIRC we got 15-16 peeps from a clutch of 22 eggs. The one that is sitting now is from that hatching.


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## *Andi

I have two broody hen in the time out lot ... I will try and put them back in the coop Sunday.


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## k0xxx

We have two broodies at the moment. A Buff Orpington and a Easter Egger. We're going to let them set and see what happens. We've had good luck with the BO's, but have never tried the others. We'll see....


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## UncleJoe

I finally remembered to take the camera with me tonight when I went out to the coop. I started walking towards her and got the "stink eye" and a low growl. Looks like she means business with this hatching thing.


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## worldengineer

I happen to have two broody hens. Counted 22 eggs in the clutch and so far 6 have hatched with I am sure quite a few more to follow. They're a mix of Rhode Island Red and Game hen, odd combo nonetheless


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## Grimm

UncleJoe said:


> I finally remembered to take the camera with me tonight when I went out to the coop. I started walking towards her and got the "stink eye" and a low growl. Looks like she means business with this hatching thing.


She is a pretty hen. What type is she?


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## LincTex

UncleJoe said:


> I finally remembered to take the camera with me tonight when I went out to the coop. I started walking towards her and got the "stink eye" and a low growl. Looks like she means business with this hatching thing.


She needs to get the feathers on the back of her neck to stand up. I need to take a picture of my Buff Orp with all her feathers up and pissed off, its quite the sight! "she means business" darn right! LOL!


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## UncleJoe

Grimm said:


> She is a pretty hen. What type is she?


Mutt. 

Most of the chickens around here are mutts except the 5 Red Sex Links I bought a few weeks ago.

If someone has an idea what breeds might be in there, fire away. The roo was mostly barred rock. I have no idea which hen she may have come from.



LincTex said:


> She needs to get the feathers on the back of her neck to stand up!


That's the first thing she does when you walk in. Then she hunkers down and stares.


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## UncleJoe

Here's the daddy, He's mostly barred rock but his mom was a RIR.


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## 21601mom

UncleJoe said:


> Here's the daddy, He's mostly barred rock but his mom was a RIR.


Oh, he's GORGEOUS!

I can't wait to get chickens next year!


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## LincTex

21601mom said:


> I can't wait ...!


Waiting on???


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## UncleJoe

21601mom said:


> Oh, he's GORGEOUS!


WAS gorgeous...past tense. 

We went to town this morning for our weekly this-n-that stuff. We got home around 5:00. When I went out to close up the coop around 7:30 I found his feathers and part of a wing scattered around the pasture.

I have no idea what got him in the middle of the day.


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## bacpacker

Tough news Joe was a great looking bird. Hope you have a young Roo of his running around.


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## cowboyhermit

Seriously?! Really sorry to hear that 
In the day and a rooster, that is strange.


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## UncleJoe

cowboyhermit said:


> Seriously?! Really sorry to hear that
> In the day and a rooster, that is strange.


My thoughts exactly.

I'm leaning towards a dog that was left to roam around. There is a hay field next to us and I found a trail through it with a few feathers here and there. I followed the trail and came to the wood line. I didn't bother trying to follow once I got to that point.


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## SouthCentralUS

Red tail hawks will pick up dogs, chickens, anything,


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## UncleJoe

SouthCentralUS said:


> Red tail hawks will pick up dogs, chickens, anything,


Very true, but I can't see a hawk dragging it's victim 75yds through a hay field and into the woods. :dunno:


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## *Andi

We had a red fox come out in the middle of the day, not long ago.

We pulled up to the gate and I saw a red back after my Roo. I thought I had forgot to put up my little dog. (she will go after a chicken in a heart beat ... she is in it for the chase. :nuts But no it was a red fox. LOL I'm not sure who was more started.  I yelled at what I thought was my dog but not... I looked at it and it looked at me, then it ran halfway up the hill and stopped, sit down and looked back at me. 

It sat they a few minutes and then went on ... Awesome looking critter (had it not been after my chicken.) 

Sorry for the loss Uncle Joe.


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## cowboyhermit

Of all the predators we have up here (LOTS) the worst have been dogs And it is not like we have many yards close by.
I hope you get some of his progeny, none of us get to stay around forever but it is nice when something lives on.


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## LincTex

cowboyhermit said:


> Of all the predators we have up here (LOTS) the worst have been dogs


Same here. We live on the edge of the city limits with a lot of trees and a popular park nearby, and all of these &^&(*^&^#@^@^& (expletives) that don't want their dogs anymore drive out to this area to abandon them. I usually end up shooting them, I sure wish I could shoot the ^#@*(*&^* that dump them off!!!! I lost one of my best barred rocks to a stray Rottweiler someone abandoned that jumped over my 4' fence.


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## cowboyhermit

Yep, we get dogs and cats dropped out here like crazy and they are usually totally messed up.
The neighbors dogs have caused a lot of the grief though too. Nobody seems to ever think their cute little puppy could cause any harm. For a while some people rented a nearby acreage and had three rottweilers, we told them they were causing problems and they promised to keep them tied up or fenced in. Not long later they ran a small herds of our cows (pregnant) so hard and through so many fences I almost cried. It did not end well but it could have been even worse for the dogs (We would have been within in our legal rights to shoot them all)


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## LincTex

cowboyhermit said:


> It did not end well but it could have been even worse for the dogs (We would have been within in our legal rights to shoot them all)


I would have shot every one of those dogs without hesitation, buried them, and then pretend I knew nothing about it. Those are the consequences.... they were warned.


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## Toffee

My dad caught a bunch of dogs killing our chickens. So, he killed them and took them to the dump along with the chicken carcasses and hung them up at the dump so everyone could tell what happened and it was a bit of a warning.


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## cowboyhermit

The thing is, it wasn't the dogs fault, it was the stupid owners. 
Whether or not people see them as family members, pets, property, I could care less, as long as they are RESPONSIBLE for them like I am for mine.
They moved into town and had no choice but to keep the dogs fenced in and they never caused any more problems as far as I know. They were beautiful dogs with a natural prey drive and stupid owners.


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## LincTex

Good dogs suffer or are killed every day in this world due to the neglect of their owner's use of their brains. It's too bad - - but it won't bring back a killed calf, either. Sometimes you have to do what is needed, whether its right or wrong.


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## Jason

UncleJoe said:


> WAS gorgeous...past tense.
> 
> We went to town this morning for our weekly this-n-that stuff. We got home around 5:00. When I went out to close up the coop around 7:30 I found his feathers and part of a wing scattered around the pasture.
> 
> I have no idea what got him in the middle of the day.


Holy cow. That really sucks.


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## UncleJoe

Been busy this weekend so I haven't been out to visit the hopeful mom. Went out tonight and heard the tell-tale peeping.

ONE PEEP! ?????

The rest of the eggs are still in the nest but she's not sitting. She is very protective of it but this is the first time I've ever seen only one egg hatch.


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## Kattscrowd

bummer Uncle Joe, I pray she straightens up and sets those eggs! I don't have a broody in the bunch, but they have to deal with the 10 yo coming racing into the coop nightly to get the eggs, they don't have a chance  And he's meaner than they are this year LOL, last year was another story!
I'm sorry dogs got your roo. We used to have problems with folks leaving their dogs 'out in the country where they can roam and be free'.. now either the coyotes, or other predators get 'em or the coyotes adopt 'em into their pack. We have a horrible problem with coy-dogs.. or did. I've got three huge LGD's that take care of business here and one around the farm (she's also a LGD, but she's decided she'd rather be a up-close-to-the-house-dog; but she takes care of skunks, possums, and '*****, so she earns her keep) but my trio keep the coyotes at bay. 
I'd love to have something go broody here, I even have some silkie hens and one cochin hen.. they *need* to go broody on me. But this year has been crazy weather wise. I don't think they know if they need to go broody or what!
I do have some geese that tried to hatch out some and still might.. my big male LGD was guarding her as well as her mate (that was funny.. RFD-TV needs a funniest farm videos) but I don't think they made it. And some ducks too. But my two younger LGD females are still pups and are bad about getting eggs (so is Dawg, but he's a keeper) so I don't think anything will hatch out there. If I had had a hen go broody during goose egg season I sure would've let her set some. I don't like hatching waterfowl in the house.. they bring the fowl into it!!!
Nice to meet y'all!!! (are there more than just a few who homestead and prep here? we are preparing to bug-in and have the critters to prove it!)
Katt in the wilds of western AR


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## UncleJoe

I was up a little after 5:00 this morning. Made my tea and sat down at the computer. About 5:30 the chickens started raising a major ruckus. I got up and looked out the back door and there was a big red fox prancing around one of the coops. The coops are about 50yds from the house. I picked up the .22 that leans in the corner by the door, pulled the covers off the scope, released the safety and slowly slid the door open. The fox looked towards the house and took off. Never even had time to bring the rifle up.


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## LincTex

UncleJoe said:


> released the safety and slowly slid the door open. The fox looked towards the house and took off. Never even had time to bring the rifle up.


Same here. I wish I had a "porthole" to fire through.


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## k0xxx

After having to restart with two new broodies, we have chicks. Four out and at least three more pipping. Can't wait to check the coop in the morning!


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## Mortblanc

Well this thread really got sidetracked didn't it. From broody hens to predator control.

I do have some experience with both, so here goes.

Protecting your flock is priority #1. You can have all the warm fuzzy feelings for all Gods' creatures you wish when you can go down to the store and buy eggs, or to the hatchery and get more chicks. But in a survival situation the chicken killing dog is a dead dog, the pretty fox is a new collar on the winter coat and the possum goes in the pot with carrots and potatoes.

They are stealing your food! Taking it right off your children's' plates. Deal with it or get used to explaining how the neighbors' freekin' dog is more important to you than the fact that your kids are going to bed hungry.

I have killed more than 50 cute little raccoons in the past year, 6 just last week, along with 3 possums. The smell of chicken is like a narcotic to them. As I type there is a 12 gauge shotgun 6' away by the back door, a .22 rifle is in the workshop in case I hear commotion while I am out in the shop. No I am not a paranoid militia type, I am just protecting the livestock. 


Broody hens have to be managed. I have discovered through tough experience, that a hen will abandon a nest after the first days hatch shows. They will hardly ever stay on the nest and hatch after that first 21 day brood hatches.

The trick is to make sure all the eggs she is sitting started developing on the same day.

Gather eggs for a couple of days and do not refrigerate them. Put them under the broody hen and they will all develop at the same rate and hatch the same day. Mark those eggs with a marker pen and you will know which ones they are if other hens are laying in the same box or the broody hen is rolling new eggs under her.


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## k0xxx

Each hen hatched out 6 chicks, so we have 12 young'uns running around and they're getting big quick. Here's the first chick, shown with it's mom and siblings to be.


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## UncleJoe

Finally got around to taking a pic of the new "chick." Against all odds, we got another hen. Here's mom and her young'n. Looks just like her daddy.


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## LincTex

We have grown tired of having broody hens cluck "danger" to the chicks when we get near - - we have four new "chicks" (adolescents?) that all fear humans now. From now on, we'll be the mommies. None of the other chickens fear us.


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## UncleJoe

LincTex said:


> we have four new "chicks" (adolescents?) that all fear humans now. From now on, we'll be the mommies. None of the other chickens fear us.


Personally I prefer mom doing the raising. Motherhood is being bred out of chickens and I like doing my part to breed it back in.  Not only that, it's a lot less work.

The news ones will come around in time. The one above wouldn't let me within 10' of her for the longest time. Now she's right at my feet looking for a handout when I let them out of the coop in the morning.


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## *Andi

UncleJoe said:


> Personally I prefer mom doing the raising. Motherhood is being bred out of chickens and I like doing my part to breed it back in.  Not only that, it's a lot less work.
> 
> The news ones will come around in time. The one above wouldn't let me within 10' of her for the longest time. Now she's right at my feet looking for a handout when I let them out of the coop in the morning.


I agree ...let Mother Nature do the work.


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## cowboyhermit

I like my animals a little less "tame" than some, so if momma cow gets a bit ornery for a couple days that's fine with me, same goes for chickens.


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