
When your hen goes broody the following signs is how you will know. Also included is most asked questions about broody hens.
How to Tell if Your Hen has gone broody:
What to do if you have to move your broody hen
When your hen goes broody she may not always choose a very safe nesting place. If your hen is being bothered by other hens, has selected a unsafe nesting place, or chosen a nesting place which is unsafe for baby chicks who will hatch in 21 days, you may find yourself needing to move your broody hen to a better and safer place. It is not a good idea to change a broody hen's nest box as she may desert her eggs so rather than attempt to move your hen and eggs from her nest box. if possible you will need to move her entire nest box. If you can move her nest box to an isolated penned area where she can hatch her chicks, have access to food and fresh water from an automatic poultry water cup system (safer for baby chicks and provides cleaner water) or a shallow water dish with marbles in it would be ideal for her and relieve much of her stress. I have had much success with putting a broody hen who abandoned her nest when I tried to move her, in a portable pet carrier with mesh sides inside my house. I put her nesting box with the eggs she had been sitting on in there, her food, water, and puppy potty pads. Having no other place to sit or roost, she returned to the nest box to hatch her chicks. After her chicks hatched mother hen was far less stressed than she would have been trying to raise her chicks with the flock and it was so obvious. Once the chicks were about two weeks old I added large pine bedding. I do not use small pine shavings because I did have a baby chick ate one that came out and poked a hole through her gullet, I almost lost her and had I not removed it, I would have.
Try not to disturb your broody hen
If your hen has found a good place to have her baby chicks or you have successfully moved her to a safe place it is best not to disturb her or to disturb her as little as possible.
Can you stop a hen from going broody?
Sometimes you can stop a hen from going broody by using rollout nest boxes and collecting eggs daily, check nest boxes before closing the coop up for the night to make sure you have not missed any. Your hen can sense a baby chicks heart beat one day after the egg is laid (so can snakes) and if she has any broody tendencies she may try to hatch the eggs. Once your hen has detected the chicks heart beat and gone broody it isn't a good idea to take the eggs away from her. Most hens will become extremely stressed if you do not let them hatch their eggs while some others will seem to not care and will give up on trying to hatch eggs. If your hen appears stressed and repeatedly tries to hatch eggs it is a good idea to let her do it.
Will a broody hen draw predators to your chicken coop?
Most definitely. By allowing your broody hen to stay in the chicken coop or hen house with your flock you are putting her, her chicks, and your whole flock at risk. Predators can smell eggs, snakes can hear a baby chicks heart beat from miles away so every predator within miles of your coop will be heading your way. If possible move your broody hen to a separate and safe place away from your flock like a shed, garage, an enclosed porch, or your home as a last resort.
How to Tell if Your Hen has gone broody:
- Picks or builds a nest
- Will not leave the nest box
- Stops eating and drinking
- She will defend her nest
What to do if you have to move your broody hen
When your hen goes broody she may not always choose a very safe nesting place. If your hen is being bothered by other hens, has selected a unsafe nesting place, or chosen a nesting place which is unsafe for baby chicks who will hatch in 21 days, you may find yourself needing to move your broody hen to a better and safer place. It is not a good idea to change a broody hen's nest box as she may desert her eggs so rather than attempt to move your hen and eggs from her nest box. if possible you will need to move her entire nest box. If you can move her nest box to an isolated penned area where she can hatch her chicks, have access to food and fresh water from an automatic poultry water cup system (safer for baby chicks and provides cleaner water) or a shallow water dish with marbles in it would be ideal for her and relieve much of her stress. I have had much success with putting a broody hen who abandoned her nest when I tried to move her, in a portable pet carrier with mesh sides inside my house. I put her nesting box with the eggs she had been sitting on in there, her food, water, and puppy potty pads. Having no other place to sit or roost, she returned to the nest box to hatch her chicks. After her chicks hatched mother hen was far less stressed than she would have been trying to raise her chicks with the flock and it was so obvious. Once the chicks were about two weeks old I added large pine bedding. I do not use small pine shavings because I did have a baby chick ate one that came out and poked a hole through her gullet, I almost lost her and had I not removed it, I would have.
Try not to disturb your broody hen
If your hen has found a good place to have her baby chicks or you have successfully moved her to a safe place it is best not to disturb her or to disturb her as little as possible.
Can you stop a hen from going broody?
Sometimes you can stop a hen from going broody by using rollout nest boxes and collecting eggs daily, check nest boxes before closing the coop up for the night to make sure you have not missed any. Your hen can sense a baby chicks heart beat one day after the egg is laid (so can snakes) and if she has any broody tendencies she may try to hatch the eggs. Once your hen has detected the chicks heart beat and gone broody it isn't a good idea to take the eggs away from her. Most hens will become extremely stressed if you do not let them hatch their eggs while some others will seem to not care and will give up on trying to hatch eggs. If your hen appears stressed and repeatedly tries to hatch eggs it is a good idea to let her do it.
Will a broody hen draw predators to your chicken coop?
Most definitely. By allowing your broody hen to stay in the chicken coop or hen house with your flock you are putting her, her chicks, and your whole flock at risk. Predators can smell eggs, snakes can hear a baby chicks heart beat from miles away so every predator within miles of your coop will be heading your way. If possible move your broody hen to a separate and safe place away from your flock like a shed, garage, an enclosed porch, or your home as a last resort.
Roll Out Nest Boxes Prevent Hens From Hatching Eggs
If you already have enough chickens and do not want your hen to hatch baby chicks, getting roll out nest boxes is your best bet. The eggs won't stay in the nest, they will roll down into a box where they can easily be collected. Roll out nest boxes keep eggs cleaner too.
More About Broody Hens & Baby Chicks |