[Dizzycow]

Hiya, peeps,

I have many questions which for which I'm looking for answers.

I've incubated eggs lots of times, but never had a broody hen.

The situation is that in my shed, which has the chicken houses in it, there is a guinea pig hutch where the girls have been happily laying for the last two years. A cream legbar has been sitting on a clutch for two weeks now, and the egg production has declined dramatically overall. Question one is - can the broodiness of one hen affect the rest?

I suspect that it can, because three days ago another CL decided to sit on a clutch in the same hutch. Then yesterday a light sussex also stayed put in there at bed time. I shut all three in with a bit of water and corn. Question two - is it the right thing to take food and water in to a broody chook?

Tonight, when I went to lock them up, the LS had usurped the CL and was sitting on her clutch. I decided to take out the LS, so despite her pecking I picked her up to carry her to a coop. As I transferred her she dropped an egg which she must have been holding with her legs, and SPLAT. A half cooked chick. God, I feel dreadful. So I'm now going to keep the two broodies shut in day and night to stop anyone else doing the same thing. Q 2.5, Is that ok? To keep her shut in?

Question three; I assumed that the CL was sitting on about five eggs, but when I moved the LS I discovered about 16 eggs. If she (the CL) has been adding to the clutch (from what the others have been laying) on a daily basis what will happen when they start to hatch, but over potentially a ten day period? Will she still sit on the remaining eggs until they hatch?

Question four. Will the other CL who is sitting on five eggs in the same hutch attack her chicks when they hatch?

Q Five. Do I need to be supplying them with chick crumbs + corn + water? If so, how have they survived over the centuries without the luxury of daily deliveries of crumbs?

Six. I'm worried about everything and don't know what to do. Should I move broody no.2 to another safe place? What do I do about angry broody LS? What should I do when CL no.1's lot hatch...... Bit stressed out and V sad about dropped egg.


HELLLLLPPPP........!


 



 

[Laurasfarm]

Ok looong answer coming

One broody chicken will encourage others to go broody and even if they don't sit the eggs production will drop off, they can also make it difficult for other chickens to lay if it's a communal nest box.
Some broodies willl get off nest for food and water but the further they have to go the colder eggs can get in the time. So close food and water close by is very helpful.  But it should be a layers pellet really corn can make them over-heat a little.
Do other people have access to the chickens?  Broody don't tend to go anywhere so keeping them in isn't a problem as long as they still have all there basic needs taken care of, and keep in mind ventilation and red mite build up in the nest box.
Chickens have natural instincts for hatching they will continue sitting for quite a few days after the first have hatched and leave when the time is right so I wouldn't worry to much about the timing of the eggs.
We alsways seperate broodys incase of attack by the other chickens it not a risk we are willing to take.  We have adapted a rabbit hutch with a run so that when they do hatch they have safe covered access to grass straight away.
You will need to supply with chick crumb, they will also eat a natural diet if they have access to it, but thats what chick crumb is designed for.  They don't need corn.  Animals have obviously survived over the centuries but now with have the means to care for them better we should.
Try and seperate them if you can, broodys have good natural instincts.  Move them at night for lease ditress and move the eggs first so shes sits right back on them.

Sorry about your loss, I'll try any help best I can with any other questions, fingers crossed for you

Laura

[Dizzycow]

Thank you so much, Laura. I appreciate it and will follow all your advice! I'm quite excited about a natural hatching, though I am missing the egg production as I sell the eggs to the local shop.
Cheers!
 

[Bionic]

Dizzycow,
I'm not sure I can be of much help as I am new to chickens and still learning myself, but if it makes you feel any better I too picked up the broody and dropped an egg that she must have been clutching tight. As it happened there didn't seem to be anything in that egg so I didn't feel so bad. 
Initially I moved the broody and her eggs to a converted rabbit hutch but felt a bit sorry for her being on her own so put her back in with the others. The eggs were already marked (I bought them through the post) so any new laid eggs by the other girls were removed every day. The broody was very good and let me gently lift her to check for other eggs.
As soon as the eggs hatched I moved mum and chicks back to the rabbit hutch which I had put in the stable. My book said to give the chicks hard boiled egg and chick crumbs. I had 4 chicks and between them they ate 2 hard boiled eggs a day for a week. They are now 3 weeks old and for the past couple of weeks have been having a real mix of things to eat. Chick crumbs they always have, mixed corn, chopped up cooked spaghetti (which they love) cooked rice (which they also love) some cranberries, bread (another favourite). My book says they like clover so each morning I pick some clover leaves and they eat all of those too. Mum likes to take food from my hands to check over before she gives it to the chicks.
Now I am not saying all of this is the correct thing to do but my 4 seem to be thriving. They have gone from being in the hutch to having the full run of the stable and ventured outside for the first time yesterday.
Sally

[Mel Rice]

I do shut mine in mainly   to stop other eggs being added
My friend had two bantams that went broody together over 1 egg, which they raised (he didnt realy want any little-uns

[Dizzycow]

Thanks, that's all great. My CLs definitely don't like me getting close! I've shut the two broodies up together for now, I'll try to separate them, and will keep them closed up to stop any other intruders.


Can't imagine how two hens hatched one egg! Very funny!