My First Broody Hen

so lucky

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
4,953
Points
397
Location
SE Missouri, Zone 6
With my previous batch of chickens, I never had one go broody, but the Black Copper Marens I have decided to go broody this week. She is really cranky when I push her out of the nest box every day. Growling at me, pecking at me. Hackles raised. She has perfected the "stink-eye".
Since this is her first time, I am hoping she will give it up on her own soon. If not, I have a crate I can put her in, and try the forced break.
Or, actually, I have considered getting some fertile eggs and letting her do her thing. I don't have room for any more chickens, though, so they would have to be "to go"
 

Alyssum

Sprout
Joined
May 30, 2020
Messages
5
Reaction score
8
Points
8
With my previous batch of chickens, I never had one go broody, but the Black Copper Marens I have decided to go broody this week. She is really cranky when I push her out of the nest box every day. Growling at me, pecking at me. Hackles raised. She has perfected the "stink-eye".
Since this is her first time, I am hoping she will give it up on her own soon. If not, I have a crate I can put her in, and try the forced break.
Or, actually, I have considered getting some fertile eggs and letting her do her thing. I don't have room for any more chickens, though, so they would have to be "to go"
Good luck on the broody hen, whatever you do with her. Check out the sister site, Backyard Chickens, for any support you need.
 

so lucky

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
4,953
Points
397
Location
SE Missouri, Zone 6
You know, she comes out and joins the other girls for over 3 hours every day, when they free range. I don't think she's that serious. But, that doesn't mean she will break on her own soon. Thanks for the heads up.
 

Ridgerunner

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
8,227
Reaction score
10,049
Points
397
Location
Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I've had some like that, took two weeks for them to decide if they were flipping over to full broody mode or just thinking about it. Some go broody, some break themselves. I also had one in the heat of summer that was full broody but would come off the nest twice a day to eat, drink, and poop. She'd spend over an hour off the nest each time, often hanging with the flock. She still had a good hatch.

With some broodies it's like flipping a switch, they go from not a care in the world to fully committed in the blink of an eye. Others drag it out over days. Pretty sure I've helped some that were on the edge decide against it by tossing them out of the nest as it's getting dark. But for most if I don't give them eggs to hatch it's the broody buster.

My test if a broody is committed enough to be considered really broody is if she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. Oh, I pay attention to what she does during the day but the real test is two consecutive nights. It hasn't failed me yet.
 

Latest posts

Top