Broody Hen - Tips and what to expect
A broody hen! What is it? What do you do if you have one? This post will answer most of the commonly asked questions and hopefully educate you on broody hans and what to do.
Read below to learn more!
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN AFTER READING THIS
What is a broody hen
Signs you have a broody hen
Time of year + Breed’s prone to broodiness
What do you do with a broody hen
How to care for a broody hen
WHAT IS A BROODY HEN?
A broody hen is a chicken that has decided to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs. Sometimes the eggs are fertilized ( if you have a rooster) or they may be unfertilized. They will sit on the eggs day and night only leaving 1 a day to eat, drink, and poop. Some breed’s are more prone to being broody.
A clutch of eggs in a gathering of about 10-12 eggs. They might all be from the same hen, or she might sit on a few eggs that belong to somebody else as well.
Broodiness is natural and a maternal instinct in hens. It’s wonderful to see how much care they give to their chicks even before they hatch!
SIGNS YOU HAVE A BROODY HEN
Hen is reluctant to get off her eggs or leave the nesting box.
Sitting in a nest and refusing to move even if there are no eggs
Puffs up and might try to bite you if you try to move her
Is not coming out to eat or drink
Has chest or belly feathers missing
She might at first hop on and off for the first few days and you won’t notice she is actually broody. Just pay attention to your hens and note if you’ve seen one in the nesting box quite a bit.
Once she becomes broody she will stay that way for about 21 days until you convince her otherwise or she hatches some baby chicks!
TIME OF YEAR + BREED’s PRONE TO BROODINESS
Spring is the time of year hens will go broody! They need the warmth of spring and summer to allow for the chicks to grow and hatch properly. You will hardly never see a hen go broody at a different time of year.
If it’s a hen’s first spring she will likely not be broody until the following spring depending on various reasons. Just know that she might do it the next time around!
Buff Orpingtons are a breed that is likely to be broody! They also make great mama’s. Cohin, Silkies, Brahma, & Sussex are also breed’s that tend to be broody.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A BROODY HEN ?
You have two options once you have a broody hen. Let her be broody or not. This of course depends on whether you have a rooster or not and if you want baby chicks or not. So many factors! Let’s discuss both options.
Option 1-
Don’t let her be broody. If you don’t want to hatch chicks, or if your eggs are not fertile ( you don’t have a rooster) then you’ll have to convince the hen that there’s no need for her to sit on the eggs. This could be hard to do! They love sitting on the eggs and will refuse you moving them.
You can try by just removing the eggs and moving the hen out of the nesting box. Many times this is not enough. I’ve had them jump up into an empty nesting box and just sit there with no eggs. When it comes to the time of year to hatch eggs they go pretty crazy and It’s all they know how to do!
Their bellies get very hot when they are trying to hatch eggs so placing something cool on their bellies can also help turn their desire to sit on eggs off. I personally don’t believe in putting them in an ice bath or something like that because of the stress it can cause the the hen.
You can also close the nesting box so she cannot go in there ( This might be hard if you have other hens trying to just lay.
There’s also the thought that broody hens go broody because of hormones and that’s not something you can really prevent. So you can just let her be broody and just remove the eggs from under her. It’s all part of nature and I’ve many times just let them be broody and they’ve been just fine even though they did not hatch any eggs.
Option 2-
Let her sit on the eggs! If you do this you’ll have to ensure the hen is comfortable and is set for success. She will be in there for 3 long weeks as she incubates those babies. If there are multiple hens they might try to fight the broody hen for her nesting box in order to lay more eggs. This could cause some of the eggs to break causing a dirty sticky environment which is not what you want for babies to hatch in. The nesting boxes can also be high off the ground which can be dangerous to the babies. The best option is to move mom and the eggs into a dog crate or some sort of enclosure that will allow her to be safe and even get water and foo if you put some in there. I like to keep this crate in the coop or the run so the hen is still around her flock. This prevents issues later when trying to re-integrate the hen and new chicks with the flock.
I’ve done both methods and definitely having the dog crate idea has been wonderful.
If this is the first time your hen goes broody she might not sit on the eggs for the full 21 days and give up prior to. Just keep that in mind.
When you move the brooded hen to her crate or new area be sure to wear gloves. She will NOT be happy with you and try to bite and squawk at you.
HOW TO CARE FOR A BROODY HEN
Try to offer food and water once a day. ( She might hop off her eggs or she might not. At least offer it to her ) Have it near her box but not in her box. You want to minimize any spread of bacteria or bugs to her eggs. IF she does not get up that day it’s ok. Sometimes they’ll go days without getting off of their eggs.
Provide a safe environment for her to sit on the eggs ( whether that be the nesting box, dog crate, etc.
Keep the nest clean ( I like to add some dried herbs to keep it smelling fresh) Do not however touch or move the eggs.
Let her do her thing! It’s instilled in hens to be broody and to care for their babies. Let her be the expert that she is and don’t meddle much.
One of the only reasons as hen might abandon her nest if because of mites. Make sure to keep things clean and tidy. Apply First Saturday Lime in the nesting box to keep critters away.
BABY CHICKS
I have not raised baby chicks in a brooder and let mama hen raise baby chicks and I can by FAR say it’s so much easier for the mom to do her job. My hens have been fabulous mothers. They take such good care of their babies. Always clucking at them and aware of their location. They teach the little ones early on how to forage and find food. They protect and care for them in such a magical way.
Ensure there is fresh water the babychicks can reach. Also do provide them with chick starter. I try to have a separate little container available to them so they can get the nutrients they need. Lastly provide a safe place for them to sleep with mom and rest. Many times they will jump on mom and sleep on top of her. It’s hilarious to watch and so very cute.
Whether it’s your first time seeing baby chicks or your 100th time it never get’s old. I hope this has been a good resource for you and helps you know how to care for your broody hen. If you have any questions please ask them below.
For more information on chickens and baby chicks see the following
For more information on chickens in general see my “How to raise Chickens Course” Available now!
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