Author Topic: broody (Read 2477 times)

Bramham Wiltshire Horns · « **on:** April 11, 2016, 03:11:26 pm »

i used a broody last year that sat 10 eggs and hatched them all

my other questions

1. how many eggs can one large fowl sit
2. if a hen has been sat for a week and i disturbed her to sit new eggs would she sit out for another 3 weeks or get bored
she is currently sat eggs at work and they could do with not sitting them as they have too many, and i have eggs coming wednesday
if this all makes sense

thanks

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2016, 03:27:08 pm »

Do you mind if I hang o to this thread? Its just I need to know these answers meself! Sorry i can't be of more help. I found that one of my buff sussex could sit 5 max. How large is the hen?

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2016, 04:54:45 pm »

A big hen can cover 15 or more eggs, but I'd stick to 12 or so to be sure none got cold. In fact, I had a semi-bantam who hatched 12 successfully, but I guess they were smaller eggs as well!

A good sitter in a good/safe place will wait out an extra week (or even more) in my experience. Make sure she gets off to eat, drink, dust-bathe and poo especially later on so she doesn't go off her legs.

Bramham Wiltshire Horns · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2016, 05:00:47 pm »

id just add that i have incubator but find broodies miles better

she an orpington

Sudanpan · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2016, 07:57:11 pm »

I have a broody light sussex who has now been sitting for 5 weeks and not showing any signs of getting bored

I've been leaving her on a couple of (marked) eggs and removing any the other hens lay in 'her' box but those eggs are obvioulsy not viable. Should I try and break her broodiness now?

Steph Hen · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2016, 08:42:54 pm »

Sussex should do 12. I had a marran sit on 18 under a hedge and hatch 15 once (she went missing till we heard the newly hatched chicks!). I'd prob just go for a doz under a nice big Orpington as well.

Broody will stil tight for 4-5 weeks, easily. so long as she knows to come off and feed well. (I've had some that would sit for days, either foul the nest or half starve themselves for days - these were not allowed to sit till the following year.)
I didn't understand the second bit of your question, sorry! "...currently sat eggs at work..."

I much prefer hen raised chicks. So I like to pop some eggs under the hen, and some in incubator on the same day and then consolidate all the chicks under the hen if possible! I had a Sussex brood 20odd the other year, think it was 26, I wrote about it on here. So if you have eggs coming that you need to incubate, I'd remove any she's been sitting on for a week and get her on the good ones, and any extras can go in the incubator on the same day.

Sudanpan: I would break her broodiness ASAP. Some hens will sit for months and lose a lot of condition in this time. If you don't want chicks I'm not sure there's much benifit to leaving them broody at all?
Put her in a wire cage, suspended off the ground with food and water. you need to keep the rain off her, or put the cage in a shed or garage for a couple of days. Listen for her voice to go back to normal.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2016, 09:11:52 pm »

Quote from: Steph Hen on April 11, 2016, 08:42:54 pm

Sudanpan: I would break her broodiness ASAP. Some hens will sit for months and lose a lot of condition in this time. If you don't want chicks I'm not sure there's much benifit to leaving them broody at all?

I agree. Their immune system can get compromised and they're then vulnerable to any passing disease, which they can transmit to the rest of your birds. Once my broodies have sat firmly for three days I put them on a clutch of eggs or break their broodiness, although I find they can take quite a while to get back in lay.