Broody Hen Given a Chance

BARNACLE BILL · « **on:** August 03, 2015, 20:12 »

Hi

I have a hen that's has been broody for a week now. Unusually it's is a Hybrid (ISA BROWN ) or similar. A friend gave me some hopefully fertile Barnvelder eggs today. I have moved her out of the main enclosure. She is now in a shed happily sitting on the eggs. I have read they will lose condition during the incubation period. She normally has layer pellets and any veg I thrown in. Is there anything I can add to the diet that will be beneficial ?

I also read in an article that once the eggs hatch. The Broody's hormones start to return to normal. They will then lose interest in the chicks after 2 weeks. Is this correct ? As will need to make provision for heat if that is the case.

Thanks

BB

grinling · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2015, 20:54 »

Roberta loses interests when she goes broody the following year.
Have you got a house and run available for her when the chicks hatch? I use a rabbit hutch with a chicken wire fence with more wire over the top.
She is fine for the food and water, but when the eggs hatch you will need chick crumb, which your layers should not eat.

Geo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2015, 22:11 »

I gave my hen a scrambled egg most days when she was sitting on the nest.

BARNACLE BILL · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2015, 22:15 »

Seriously a scrambled egg ? That's irony !

BB

Helenaj · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2015, 06:13 »

Quote from: grinling on August 03, 2015, 20:54

Roberta loses interests when she goes broody the following year.
Have you got a house and run available for her when the chicks hatch? I use a rabbit hutch with a chicken wire fence with more wire over the top.
She is fine for the food and water, but when the eggs hatch you will need chick crumb, which your layers should not eat.

Grinling is right, you will need chick crumb - it is small enough for the chicks to eat and most contain anti-coccidosis medication which is why your laying hens shouldn't have access to it. Once they go onto growers (also medicated) you can't feed the remaining crumb to your hens and will need to dispose of it. the same goes for any growers left over. You will also need a shallow drinker that the chicks can't fall into and drown. If you don't have one a flat saucer with some pebbles in the bottom should do.
Your hen should stay with the chicks of her own accord for anything up to 6 weeks, maybe longer. You will know when she wants to go back - she'll make that quite obvious! However, you will need a contingency plan in case she decides to abandon the chicks and they are not yet off the heat. Have a search through the site for home made brooder boxes and have a large box on standby just in case.

Keep an eye on your hen whilst she's brooding - they often neglect to eat and drink, so if you notice that she has not touched her food you will need to carefully lift her off the eggs so that she can do so - I used to feed her pellets in a shallow dish so that I could level the top -this would easily show if she had taken any pellets. From day 18 onwards don't lift her off, she needs to stay on the eggs. Don't worry abount candling - any unviable or rotten eggs she will kick away after a couple of days.

joyfull · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2015, 09:03 »

if your hen and her chicks will be mixing with the other hens then you can feed organic chick crumb and organic growers, neither of these have the anti coccidiosis medication added so if your other hens eat it then there is no problem to the eggs.
I would suggest that you stop the scrambled eggs and feed her normal feed, just make sure you remove her off the eggs (do this very carefully as they often have an egg tucked up under their wings) twice a day so that she will eat, drink and do an enormous and very smelly pooh.

Helenaj · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2015, 18:08 »

Ah yes, I love the smell of a broody poo in the morning.....not!

BARNACLE BILL · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2015, 20:06 »

Just a quick update. The Broody has now been on her clutch of eggs for 12 days. In that time she has hardly eaten anything. There are no stools just some runny faeces. Initially I had the layer pellets available for her. As I grew more concerned in regards to her feeding. I started to leave tinned sweetcorn and this has been eaten. This is mainly carbohydrate, Am I correct in assuming as she is no longer laying, the need for protein etc is reduced. I was wondering what other foods I could offer ? That would prevent her losing too much condition. As she has another 9 days to go, before hopefully hatching her brood.

BB

snow white · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2015, 21:27 »

mixed corn? meal worms? if she is not laying then layers pellets are not essential.

Beekissed · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2015, 05:32 »

Quote from: BARNACLE BILL on August 15, 2015, 20:06

Just a quick update. The Broody has now been on her clutch of eggs for 12 days. In that time she has hardly eaten anything. There are no stools just some runny faeces. Initially I had the layer pellets available for her. As I grew more concerned in regards to her feeding. I started to leave tinned sweetcorn and this has been eaten. This is mainly carbohydrate, Am I correct in assuming as she is no longer laying, the need for protein etc is reduced. I was wondering what other foods I could offer ? That would prevent her losing too much condition. As she has another 9 days to go, before hopefully hatching her brood.

BB

You really and truly do not need to worry about a broody hen not eating and drinking for extended periods. Their body goes through changes during this period that prevents the need for every day eating and drinking. Just leave water and feed available and let nature happen.

When chickens are kept out on range and are allowed to behave naturally, a hen will disappear to a nest out in the bush and reappear after her weeks of brood time with little ones trailing her....now, unless she has established a nest near a stream and a ready crop of grains for eating~not likely, she has managed to survive just fine on her nest for 3 wks without anyone's help at all. They actually do much better and have a better hatch rate if left alone and not forced off the nest by meddling humans.

joyfull · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2015, 16:35 »

you can always start her on chick crumb, hens love that and then you will also have it in stock for when any chicks hatch

BARNACLE BILL · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2015, 20:00 »

Thank you for the advice

Quote from: Beekissed on August 18, 2015, 05:32

Quote from: BARNACLE BILL on August 15, 2015, 20:06
Just a quick update. The Broody has now been on her clutch of eggs for 12 days. In that time she has hardly eaten anything. There are no stools just some runny faeces. Initially I had the layer pellets available for her. As I grew more concerned in regards to her feeding. I started to leave tinned sweetcorn and this has been eaten. This is mainly carbohydrate, Am I correct in assuming as she is no longer laying, the need for protein etc is reduced. I was wondering what other foods I could offer ? That would prevent her losing too much condition. As she has another 9 days to go, before hopefully hatching her brood.

BB

You really and truly do not need to worry about a broody hen not eating and drinking for extended periods. Their body goes through changes during this period that prevents the need for every day eating and drinking. Just leave water and feed available and let nature happen.

When chickens are kept out on range and are allowed to behave naturally, a hen will disappear to a nest out in the bush and reappear after her weeks of brood time with little ones trailing her....now, unless she has established a nest near a stream and a ready crop of grains for eating~not likely, she has managed to survive just fine on her nest for 3 wks without anyone's help at all. They actually do much better and have a better hatch rate if left alone and not forced off the nest by meddling humans.

It did strike me as odd that the urge to reproduce was so strong. That the hen would literally starve herself to death in the process. 3 days to go now and we will see if's all been worthwhile.

BB

Beekissed · « **Reply #12 on:** August 21, 2015, 20:49 »

My point was, they aren't starving themselves at all.

They have huge fat reserves in their abdomen for times like this and their bodies slow down in metabolism, much like a bear does in hibernation, thus decreasing their need or desire for food like in the amounts they would normally eat.

When their body signals for them to ingest food or water, they will get off the nest and get some...but they just don't need our prompting or pushing them to do so. They are experts at this!

BARNACLE BILL · « **Reply #13 on:** August 21, 2015, 21:32 »

Quote from: Beekissed on August 21, 2015, 20:49

My point was, they aren't starving themselves at all. They have huge fat reserves in their abdomen for times like this and their bodies slow down in metabolism, much like a bear does in hibernation, thus decreasing their need or desire for food like in the amounts they would normally eat.

When their body signals for them to ingest food or water, they will get off the nest and get some...but they just don't need our prompting or pushing them to do so. They are experts at this!

Thanks Beekissed

I think you have misinterpreted my response. I was agreeing with you in the fact that the Broody would not sacrifice herself in order to produce a brood. As you say nature always knows best. Like the penguins that go 3 months without food in order to reproduce.
It's just the first time that I have tried to rear chicks (Or rather my Broody ) So everything's a learning curve.

So could you advise on another issue. Currently she is sitting on box with straw. I have read various books which state the chicks can be entangled in the straw. So should I put wood shavings in the nest and flooring ?

I am than more than happy to take advice from people who have experience in these matters.

BB

Beekissed · « **Reply #14 on:** August 21, 2015, 23:55 »

I've never heard of chicks getting tangled up in straw...usually by the time chicks arrive that nesting material is so well packed in that there is a perfect bowl of woven nesting for them to be hatched upon. The hen sits all day moving little bits here and there, perfecting her nest.

The chicks come out wet, so shavings will just cling to them when you'd rather that didn't happen. Your straw is just fine.

I always use hay, which is even longer, thinner strands than straw and I've never seen a chick become entangled in it.

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Broody Hen Given a Chance

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Broody Hen Given a Chance

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