Sophie Bennett
A broody hen is a hen that wants to sit on eggs and hatch them. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones, and lighting conditions. A hen that is broody will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for 21 days (more or less) until they hatch. The process of hatching chicks can be stressful, but a mother hen knows what is best and can handle all the hatching details from humidity to temperature and egg-turning to raising the chicks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How long does a chicken hatch a brood of chicks | 21 days |
| How often does a chicken become broody | Once they are between 5 and 8 months old |
| How long does a broody hen raise her chicks | Until they are old enough to join the flock |
| How to set up a broody pen | Partition off an area of space from the rest of the flock |
| How to care for a broody hen | Provide a private space, ensure optimal temperature and humidity, and prevent fighting between hens |
| How to know if a hen is broody | They will sit on a clutch of eggs and stop laying for about 21 days |
| How to hatch chicks at home | Use an incubator to provide the correct environment for fertile eggs to develop |
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What You'll Learn
The broody instinct
Broody hens, or "broodies", are hens that want to sit on eggs and hatch them. They lay a clutch of eggs and then stop egg-laying, sitting on their eggs for around 21 days until they hatch. Broody hens can raise chicks within a flock setting, but it is often easier to set up a private brooding pen for them. This allows the broody hen to be separated from the other laying hens, giving her specific eggs to hatch and making it easier to introduce chicks to her.
Broody hens are known to be protective of their chicks, and they can be aggressive towards other hens that come near their eggs. This can lead to fighting, injuries, and jockeying for position that endangers the eggs.
While broodiness is an instinct for some hens, not all broody hens will be successful hatching mothers. Some may abandon their eggs or chicks, or even kill their chicks. It is difficult to predict whether a hen will be a good mother until she has hatched her chicks.
Broody hens are often used to raise chicks of different breeds or even different poultry species. They don't seem to mind what their babies look like, as long as they have babies to care for.
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Hatching environment
The hatching environment for chicken eggs can be natural or artificial. Natural hatching involves using a broody hen to hatch fertilized eggs, while artificial hatching uses an incubator.
Natural Hatching Environment
Broody hens are mother hens that want to sit on their eggs and hatch them. This instinctual behaviour is controlled by the hen's hormones and lighting conditions. Ideally, a broody hen will have a private space to hatch her eggs in peace. However, this is not always possible, and some hens hatch their eggs in coop nest boxes.
To create optimal nesting conditions for a broody hen, prepare a separate warm and dark coop. Hens prefer nesting in partially enclosed areas with low light. You can use a special nest box, or a milk crate or wooden box can also work. Ensure that the container is stable so that the hen does not accidentally crush her eggs.
Broody hens will usually keep their eggs warm and humid enough, but you must ensure that the coop's temperature is comfortable for them. The space should also be relatively quiet at night.
Artificial Hatching Environment
Artificial hatching involves using an incubator to provide the correct environment for fertile eggs to develop. Most incubators function best in an environment between 60-70°F. It is important to place the incubator in an area with steady ambient temperatures and no drafts.
Before use, the incubator should be cleaned and sanitized to prevent contamination. It is also important to test the incubator's settings and ensure that it can maintain the proper incubating conditions over a full day. The temperature and humidity inside the incubator are critical factors for successfully hatching eggs.
During the last three days of incubation, a chick hatcher is sometimes used to assist in the hatching process.
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Hen behaviour
A hen that is committed to hatching chicks is known as a "broody" hen. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones, and lighting conditions. Broody hens can raise chicks within a flock setting, but it is a little more challenging than setting up a private brooding pen for her. When a hen is allowed to nest in the nesting boxes, it can be difficult to identify which eggs she is supposed to incubate and which ones need to be collected. Therefore, keeping the broody hen separate from the other laying hens is recommended. This also allows giving her specific eggs to hatch and makes it easier to introduce chicks to her.
Broody hens usually require a private space to hatch eggs in peace. However, this is not always possible, and many hens hatch eggs in coop nest boxes. The challenges of caring for a coop broody are significant. Laying hens still need to use the coop nest boxes and will usually join the broody hen in the box. This can lead to fighting, injuries, and jockeying for position, which endangers the eggs.
Broody hens instinctively know what is best when it comes to hatching chicks. They handle all the hatching details, from humidity to temperature, egg-turning, and raising the chicks. A broody hen will lay a clutch of eggs and then stop egg-laying. She will sit on her eggs for about 21 days until they hatch. During the first observations of wild chickens, it was found that a broody hen could turn her eggs 96 times in a day, or four times per hour, at the beginning of the incubation. However, with the modernization of incubation technology, incubators now turn their eggs 24 times a day, or once an hour.
It is important to note that just because a hen is broody does not mean she will be a successful hatching hen. Some hens abandon the eggs after a few days or weeks, or worse, they may kill the chicks that hatch. There is no way to predict whether a hen will quit setting before the eggs hatch or turn violent. Past performance is the best predictor of future behaviour.
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Chick development
Broody hens are those that want to sit on eggs and hatch them. This is an instinctual behaviour that is essential for the survival of the species. The broody instinct has been bred out of many chicken breeds in favour of egg production. However, some breeds, such as English and Asiatic breeds, are usually more inclined to be broody.
Broody hens can raise chicks within a flock setting, but it is often easier to set up a private brooding pen for her. This allows the mother hen to raise her chicks in peace and avoids fighting and injuries that can occur when other hens join her in the nest box.
When raising chicks, it is important to provide a draft-free area with consistent temperatures. For the first 3 to 8 weeks, chicks will need supplemental heat, which can be provided by a heat lamp, MHP, or EcoGlow. After this period, the chicks will seek out their own optimum heat and will forage for food.
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Brood integration
A broody hen is a hen that wants to sit on eggs, hatch them, and raise them. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones, and lighting conditions. A hen that is committed to hatching chicks will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for around 21 days until they hatch.
Broody hens can raise chicks within a flock setting, but it is more challenging than setting up a private brooding pen for her. When a hen is allowed to nest in the nesting boxes, it can be difficult to tell which eggs are the ones she is supposed to incubate. It can also lead to fighting, injuries, and jockeying for position that endangers the eggs’ integrity.
To set up a broody pen, you need an area of space that can be partitioned off from the rest of the flock. It is recommended to remove the broody hen from the normal laying nesting boxes in the coop and provide her with a brooding box within her brooding pen. Keeping the broody hen separate from the other laying hens also allows you to give her specific eggs to hatch and makes it easier to introduce chicks to her.
When the mother hen finishes raising the chicks, she will want to rejoin her flock. You can wait until the chicks are old enough and then integrate them all at once, or you can let the mother hen rejoin the flock and continue to raise the chicks yourself until they are old enough to join the flock. Proper integration methods should be followed to ensure a smooth transition back to flock life.
One method to integrate chicks into the flock is to wait until they are a few days post-hatch as they are hardier than many people realize. They will seek their own optimum heat and will forage for food. Another method is to brood the chicks separately and then introduce them to the flock when they are older.
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Frequently asked questions
A broody hen will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for 21 days (more or less) until they hatch.
A broody hen is a hen that is committed to hatching chicks. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones, and lighting conditions.
You will know! Broodiness often occurs in the spring, the natural time for birds to want to build a nest and raise their young. Longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures often trigger the instinct to brood.
Ideally, a broody hen will have a private space to hatch her eggs in peace. However, this is not always possible, and many hens hatch eggs in the coop nest boxes.
The mother hen will raise her chicks within a flock setting. Once the chicks are old enough, the mother hen will want to rejoin her flock.
