Broody hens

30 08, 2019

Grumpiest Hen

By |2019-08-15T09:22:07-05:00August 30th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Every once in a while, a hen will go broody.  This means she sits in the nest box as if she is hatching eggs.  This would be fine if she actually had eggs and would sit on them until they hatch.  We’ve learned that many times she gives up before they hatch and we are left with undeveloped and unusable eggs.

One hen has been broody and grumpy. She pecks my hand when I reach for the eggs.  This is not entirely uncommon however it does not usually leave bruises!  I started throwing her out of the nest box before I gathered the eggs.  She would peck my leg in protest.

Brian put her in a separate area, but she would fly over the gate and go back to the nest box sometimes even before I got back to the house.She is the black hen – fitting for one so grumpy. Brian has now put wire over the top of the pen so she must stay put.

Be warned – if you get too grumpy at our house, you get put in time out!

Meanwhile, it is much safer gathering eggs these days.

21 03, 2014

Broody Hens – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-03-21T06:00:41-05:00March 21st, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Periodically one or more of our hens goes broody.  This means she sits on her eggs with the intent of hatching them.

Usually I just reach under her and grab the eggs, explaining that I feed them, they feed me. Their response is then to peck at my hand.

Rachel is a little harsher.  She will pick the hens up and toss them out of the nest box then collects the eggs.

Currently, Rachel and Beekeeper Brian have decided we should let the hens sit on the eggs until they hatch. This is fine with me – less pecking on my hands.

Apparently this particular clutch of eggs requires more than one hen.  Today there were three sitting on the eggs making it a group effort.

broody hens

One of our bantam hens is sitting on eggs also.

Sometimes I find an egg that has been pushed out from under the hens.  I’ve learned that frequently this is a bad egg Having cracked one open in the house, I discovered the unpleasant and lingering smell of rotten egg.

Now I crack the outcast eggs outside to see if it is a good or bad egg.

In other news, we are hoping to get a replacement rooster for Elliot.  I’ll keep you posted.

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