What is a broody hen is a commonly asked question among first-time chicken owners. When a hen goes broody, it is her body’s way of telling her that it is time to stop laying and hatch out chicks.
During this time, a hen’s egg production will slow and may cease entirely. If the hen is allowed to sit on some eggs, she will lay a small number of eggs (called a clutch) before sitting on the eggs for twenty-one days until they hatch.
Once the chicks hatch, a good mother hen will spend the next two to three months raising her chicks. Once the chicks have “flown the nest,” she will resume laying again.
Here are six things you should know before attempting to have a hen brood eggs.
#1 Not All Hens Go Broody
If you have ever researched what is a broody hen, you may have also discovered that some chicken breeds are more prone to broodiness than others. And it’s true, not all hens go broody.
Some chicken breeds like Brahmas, Cochins, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, Silkies, and Sussex are more prone to broodiness than other breeds such as Hamburgs, Leghorns, Sex Links and Welsummers.
However, each hen is different and has a distinct personality. Not all individuals in the broody breeds will have a desire to hatch and raise chicks. On the other hand, some individuals in the non-broody group may make excellent broodies and mothers.
#2 Inexperienced Broody Hens Often Make Mistakes
Discovering what is a broody hen is only the first step in a learning journey toward brooding your own chicks. If the broody hen is a first-time mother, she has just as much as you to learn. Possibly more.
First-time broody hens are more likely to make mistakes than hens who have experience hatching and raising young. Common mistakes to look for include:
Refusing to stay sitting: Younger hens and first-time broodies often grow bored when sitting, so it isn’t uncommon for them to call it quits a week or two in. If this happens, have a backup incubator on standby, or slide the eggs under another broody.
Disinterest in chicks: First-time mama hens may show a disinterest in their newly hatched chicks. This happens when the hen is still geared toward protecting the eggs, not the chicks. The behavior can often be remedied by relocating the hen and chicks to a new location away from the nest site. Keep an eye on the new family to see if the hen resumes her mothering duties. If not, move the hen back to the coop and have a chick brooder on hand in case the plan goes awry.
#3 Broody Hens Are At Risk of Predator Attacks
One of the most critical things to learn when researching what is a broody hen is that broody hens are at an increased risk of being picked off by a predator.
There are several reasons for this since a broody hen’s job is to protect her nest, eggs, and eventually her young, but not herself. Even more predators are attracted to the eggs and chicks than they are to an adult chicken. Broody hens usually nest on the ground or floor of the coop, where it’s easier for predators to get a free meal.
If you want to keep the eggs safe and successfully raise chicks, protecting the broody hen is critical. Provide a safe area entirely enclosed in half-inch 16-gauge hardware cloth for the hen to hatch and raise her young. If possible, the coop or other enclosure should have a concrete floor. Be sure to be extra vigilant when checking both the outdoor perimeter and the coop and run to ensure no gaps larger than one-half inch are found.
Surrounding the perimeter of the coop and run with half-inch 16 gauge hardware cloth will help prevent digging predators from accessing the hen or her young.
#4 Broody Hens Need Proper Nutrition
Broody hens can quickly become dehydrated and malnourished while sitting on the nest. Some hens will refuse to leave the nest entirely during the brooding stages, so the hen may need to be physically removed and blocked out away from her nest for several minutes in the morning and again in the evening.
Keep time away from the eggs limited to about five to ten minutes per session. This is enough time for the hen to eat, get a much-needed drink, and relieve herself, without causing the embryos stress by the eggs becoming too chilly.
#5 Broody Hens Can Become Aggressive
What is a broody hen and why do broody hens show aggression, are two questions that go hand in hand. The change of hormones in a hen’s body is what causes her to go broody in the first place and also to act aggressively.
If your hen is broody, she may try to peck the hand you slip under her to collect eggs, or she may try to attack you using her wings, beak, and feet in attempts to protect her nest and young. If this happens, the best reaction is to stay calm and not react, so she doesn’t continue to view you as a threat. Once the broodiness is broken and she resumes egg laying again, she will return to acting like her old self.
Some broodies may turn aggressive toward their chicks. If a hen acts aggressively toward her chicks, simply remove the chicks from her and raise them in a safe brooder until they are old enough to join the flock.
Keep in mind that hens who act aggressively toward chicks should not be allowed to brood eggs again, as this behavior is not easily corrected.
#6 Hatching Eggs Equals Roosters
If you have researched what is a broody hen, you probably have not seen anything about roosters for sale. But, did you know that when hatching eggs, the chicks are usually fifty percent hens and fifty percent roosters. Some hens will hatch out significantly more roosters than hens.
While this may not seem like a problem immediately, once the cockerels (the name for male chickens under one year of age) begin to mature, you will quickly figure out you need a backup plan for your extra roosters, as it’s challenging to find homes for extra roosters.
Butchering your own roosters or having someone else butcher them for you is the most common option. However, if you can’t bear the thought of someone eating your chickens, setting up a separate coop and run, and starting a bachelor pad is another good way to handle the excess rooster problem.
Raising chicks with a broody hen is fun and well worth the effort. Knowing what is a broody hen and how to care for a broody hen is critical knowledge will help you know what to expect, what problems could arise and help you enjoy the brooding experience.
This article about what is a broody hen was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.
