The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: sarahevers on July 09, 2011, 06:55:44 pm

Title: I have a broody hen...Help!!!
Post by: sarahevers on July 09, 2011, 06:55:44 pm
Hi everyone,
I have my first ever broody hen. I have just aquired some fertile eggs, but now I'm not sure what to do.
Firstly, she is in totally the wrong place to hatch the eggs, secondly, she is a huge buff orpington and too big to go into a rabbit hutch, what should I do? Any and all advice about what happens next would be greatly recieved.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post  :)
Sarah  :chook:
Title: Re: I have a broody hen...Help!!!
Post by: little blue on July 09, 2011, 09:23:26 pm
if she's too big  to fit in a rabbit hutch ... what else do you have available?!
Why do you say she's in the wrong place?
  Any way of cobbling together a big enough hutch/coop?
she'll not be moving far!

 once she's in the place you want her,  give her the eggs & she'll tuck them under her where she wants them.
We have a brooding light sussex - she has pinched every egg she can and now looks as if she's dropped from a great height, all spread out over them!
Title: Re: I have a broody hen...Help!!!
Post by: joyofchicks on July 11, 2011, 12:12:47 am
Sarah - what about an old dog kennel?  We used one for our broody two years ago.  Could you put up a small ad somewhere locally appealing for one?  Here's a picture of ours along with the covered run my husband made.  Broody was dry and comfortable whilst sitting and kept the chicks safely there till they were 7 weeks old when she took them to live in the big girls hen house.