If I have a choice, I’ll almost always pick letting a broody hen hatch eggs over ordering eggs from the hatchery every single time.
However… that requires one important component– something I don’t always have.
A broody hen.
The topic of broody hens isn’t a horribly complicated one, but there are definitely some things to consider, so I decided to create this great big, giant, Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens resource to keep track of all the ins and outs of this not-always-common homestead phenomenon.
(This is a loooong post with lots of info, so use these links to click to the sections most relevant to you.)
What You’ll Learn In This Guide:
Signs/Symptoms of a Broody Hen
How to Let a Broody Hen Hatch Eggs
How Long Does it Take a Chicken Egg to Hatch?
All About the Eggs (marking, candling, and more)
How to Care for the Hen & Chicks After Hatching
What is a Broody Hen?
A broody hen is simply a hen who wants to sit on her eggs and have babies. It seems like it should be the most common thing in the world, right? Well that would be case, other than many of our modern chicken breeds have had this instinct selectively bred out of them. When a hen goes broody, they stop laying eggs. Imagine the commercial egg industry if all the hens insisted on sitting on ALL of their eggs instead of laying an egg per day? It wouldn’t work very well.
Therefore, over the years, chicken breeders have considered broodiness an undesirable trait and have bred to avoid it. And that’s why it’s semi-rare to have a hen who insists on sitting on her eggs.
Signs of a Broody Hen
If you’re wondering if you have a broody hen, here are some signs to look for:
- A broody hen can be aggressive. She might peck at you if you try to reach into the nest or take the eggs under her. She may also chase away other hens to protect her nest. Some hens even growl (yes, really!)
- She won’t leave her nest. Your broody hen will only get up from her chosen spot once or twice a day to eat, drink, and to poop.
- Speaking of poop, a broody hen will sometimes have larger poops (and a bit smellier) than normal.
- She may pull out her breast feathers and use them to line her nest.
- Once she has gathered between 8-12 eggs under her (this can take a few days or she might steal her flock-mate’s eggs), she will stop laying new eggs. She won’t get up from her nest, and will even refuse roosting its her flock at night.
What to Do With a Broody Hen
When you have a broody hen, you have two choices:
- Let her hatch the eggs.
- Discourage her until she stops being broody.
Option 1: Let the Broody Hen Hatch Eggs.
When I have a (committed) broody hen, I almost always let her hatch her eggs. (Because I’m lazy and it’s pretty much like getting free chicks.) 😉
There’s no need for incubators, chick brooders, or heat lamps because mama hen will take care of everything. The hen will also help them learn to scavenge for food and keep them warm, and a hen typically has a better hatch rate than an incubator, too.
Another bonus: you can use a broody hen to help hatch other chicken’s fertilized eggs, or even turkey, duck, or quail eggs.
The only downside to chicks that are raised from a broody hen is that they generally are more skittish around humans than those raised in an incubator, but honestly, I’m cool with that.
If you are going to let your hen be broody, it’s important to first wait a couple days to see if your hen is completely committed to the process. Sometimes, a hen’s hormones/instincts will go back to normal after a few days. It depends on a variety of factors, (such as their age and breed), but nothing is worse than nest after nest of half-developed eggs…. If after a few days she’s still intent on being broody, here’s what to do:
If you have a rooster (read more owning roosters here), you probably already have a supply of fertilized eggs you can give to your broody hen (or she might have her OWN fertilized eggs under her already).
If you do NOT have a rooster, then your eggs aren’t fertilized, so you will need to purchase fertilized eggs from local farmers, local feed stores, or online. While you wait for those fertilized eggs to be delivered, you can put golf balls or fake eggs under her so she stays intent on being broody.
IMPORTANT: Give your broody hen 10-12 eggs to hatch, and put them under her at the same time so that they will hatch together. (See below for tips on marking the eggs.)
Option 2: Breaking a Broody Hen
Why would you want to discourage a broody hen? Here are a few points to consider:
- Offspring from broody hens are usually more wild and less interested in humans. If you want a closer relationship with your chickens, then chicks from a hatchery are probably a better fit for you.
- You don’t want chicks right now. Perhaps it’s not the right season, or you just don’t have the space or resources for more chickens.
- You want chicken eggs to eat. Once a broody hen has her nest of eggs, she will stop laying, which can be frustrating for chicken-owners who either eat a lot of eggs or sell extra eggs for income.
So how do you “break” a determined hen from being broody? In order to stop a broody hen, you need to encourage her hormones to settle down and cool under her abdomen/vent area. There are a lot of theories/techniques on how to stop a broody hen, but here are a few of the most common:
- Collect her eggs often. Sometimes multiple times a day… (Wear leather gloves when you do– she may be aggressive and peck at you.
- Move the broody hen from her nesting box. You will have to do this multiple times a day, too. Broody chickens are hardcore, man.
- At night, remove the hen from her nest and gently place her on the roosting bar with her flock. Chickens have poor night vision and are creatures of habit, so she will most likely stay with her flock for the night.
- Block the nest area that the broody hen has chosen. This will only work if you can reach her nesting box (sometimes, they choose inconvenient places).
- Take the nesting material out of her chosen nesting box/area. You risk the broody hen just pulling more feathers, but this tactic can work since it gets rid of the comfort she provided for her eggs.
- Place her nest (if it’s movable) into a well-lit area, and possibly noisy and active area, too. Your broody hen wants dark, cozy, warm, and quiet, so give her the opposite environment.
- If your broody hen is especially stubborn, you might need to move her to a dog crate or wire cage/pen. Do not give her shavings or bedding and put the pen in the middle of the flock during the day. This should cool her underbelly enough to stop the broodiness. Leave the hen in the cage for 1 to 2 days (with food and water access), and when you take her out, watch to see if she goes right back to the nest box or if she goes to her flock.
Moving a Broody Hen: Pros and Cons
If you decide to let your hen stay broody, the next issue to consider is location. You can give your chickens the cutest nesting boxes in the world, with herbs and all the fixings inside, but still might decide they’d rather nest on top of the tractor or on the highest corner of the haystack (ask me how I know…).
If your hen has chosen a less-than-ideal location for her nesting adventures, it may make her more susceptible to predators or accidents.
So, should you move a broody hen to a safe nesting box area or leave her be? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons:
Why You Might Want to Move a Broody Hen and Her Nest:
- So she can still socialize with the flock. If she is off in another location, you will need to reintroduce her and her chicks to the flock later on.
- To keep her safe. If your hen has chosen a vulnerable location for her nesting adventures, it may make her more susceptible to predators or accidents.
- To ensure she has access to food and water.
- So you can keep better track of the eggs. You can mark the eggs to get an idea of when they will all hatch (and to help you know which eggs might be bad or too new to hatch on time)
- So she can have more peace and quiet.
Why You Might Want to Leave the Broody Hen Where She is:
- Moving her nest and eggs is incredibly stressful for her. In her stress, she might abandon the nest or crush some of the eggs.
- She chose a spot that she personally thinks is safe. Perhaps your actual nesting boxes are too hectic and she might know best. If she chose a place safe from predators and the elements, you might want to simply trust the broody hen’s instincts.
If you DO decide to move your broody hen, it is important to set everything up in advance. Prepare a nesting area for her before you move her, whether it’s one of the nesting boxes in your chicken coop, or in a safe and enclosed pen. Make sure the designated nesting area has access to food and water as well as some room for her to walk a bit and relieve herself.
- Fill the nest with the same nesting material that she’s already using so she is accustomed to it.
- Once you have everything set up, it’s best to wait until dark to move her. She will be sleepy, unable to see well, and hopefully calmer.
- Put on gloves to protect your hands from any protests on her part. (She’ll likely be grumpy).
- Transport her eggs into the new nest.
- Then go back for the hen. Carefully hold her against your body so that she cannot flap her wings.
- Bring her to the nesting area but do not put her directly on the the nest. She might panic and crush her eggs.
- Walk away and return later a little while later to check and see if she has accepted her new nesting location or if she is no longer broody.
How Long Does it Take Chicken Eggs to Hatch?
Chicken eggs will hatch 21 days after incubation, and duck eggs will hatch 28 days after incubation. (Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar!)
All About The Eggs…
OK, so you’ve got a broody hen in a safe place with her nest of eggs. At this point, there’s nothing wrong with letting nature do its thing and simply waiting until you hear the peeps of happy chicks in the nest.
However, if you want to stay a bit more involved, there are a few things you can do throughout the hatching process:
Marking Her Eggs
Once the hen has 8-12 eggs under her, it’s a good idea to mark the eggs with a pencil or sharpie marker. The eggs need to all hatch on the same day, so the marks will help you determine whether or not another hen may have visited the nest and “shared” some of her eggs.
If You Bought Eggs for Your Broody Hen to Raise:
If you purchased fertilized eggs for your hen to sit on, unwrap the eggs carefully and make sure you do NOT wash them. We need the protective bloom on the shell to stay intact.
If you have an aggressive broody hen, wait until she gets up from the nest to eat or drink, then place the eggs in the nest. If she is letting you touch her, you can gently lift her and put the eggs under her. If you gave her golf balls, fake eggs, or infertile eggs to keep her broody until your egg shipment arrives, remove the fakes as you give her the new ones.
Should I Candle the Eggs?
I don’t… Not for eggs under a broody hen at least. The only reason I would candle the eggs is if I was concerned the hen was sitting on a giant nest of unfertilized eggs, but for the majority of cases, the risk of disturbing the hen/nest isn’t worth the information you’ll gain.
Candling the eggs (shining a bright light on the egg to see what is inside) is almost like an ultrasound: you get to check up on the progress of growth. Candling eggs used to done with an actual candle, but now most people either use special equipment (like this candling device) or just a bright flashlight. If you use a flashlight, shine the light directly under the egg until it illuminates the contents. An underdeveloped egg will be clear. A developing egg will have blood vessels coming out of the center of the embryo. You should also see a clear area where the air sac is located. Eggs do best with very little interference, but if you absolutely must candle them, there won’t be much to see before day 7. And you absolutely should not disturb the eggs after day 17, so shoot for somewhere in that time frame.
Sometimes hens will know when an egg is not developing and will kick it out of the nest. If you notice an egg out of the nest, put it back the first time. Later, if you see the egg out of the nest again, you can candle the egg to check for development.
What Should I Do On Hatching Day?
Not much! Broody hens are devoted to their eggs and take care of everything else by instinct. More often than not, I only know the eggs have hatched when I see the chicks running around the barnyard with the hen.
It is tempting to get involved, but it’s best to let mama hen be in charge. You might see chicks struggling to get out of their eggs, but the eggs should not be removed from the nest. It’s best if you just leave them alone for hatching day, since your presence can stress the hen.
If it is a first-time mama hen, you might want to quickly peek in from time to time to make sure all is well as sometimes, VERY rarely a first-time mama hen will confusedly peck a hatching chick to death. Once the first few chicks are hatched, though, you can relax and let them do their thing.
Raising the Chicks After Hatching
You have three choices when it comes to raising your new chicks:
1. Leave the chicks with their mama and the flock
Leaving the hen and her chicks with the flock is the least disruptive option and is the one I usually choose.
This will allow the hen and chicks to continue to interact with the flock, and will also allow the chicks to get used to the pecking order, as well as learning to forage with the flock for bugs and greens. However, predators may be more of a concern with this option, and if you keep your flock in a very confined pen or run, it’s possible that some of the other flock members may attack young chicks.
2. Remove the mama hen and the chicks to a private brooding pen
If you remove the mama hen and the chicks due to conflicts with the flock, predators, or to save money on chicken feed, you will have to integrate them back with the flock later, which can be time-consuming. You will also have to provide food and water for both your flock and your brooding pen, which adds to your homestead chores.
(Re-introducing your flock to the mama hen and the chicks can go easier if your separated pen is visible to the flock so that they can all see each other.)
3. Remove the chicks from the hen and raise them in a brooder
This is the most time-intensive option, as you’ll need to keep a heat lamp on the chicks and watch them more closely. Honestly, I figure if I let the hen get this far, why not let her just finish the parenting process? It’s easier on me and she does a great job.
Moving a MAD Mama Hen
We had to move our last batch of hatched chicks to protect them from our very immature English Mastiff puppy… Let’s just say that things got a little western.
Beyond the Brooder…
Once you have figured out whether you are leaving the mama and her chicks with the flock or in a separate pen, there’s not much to do. She will keep them warm if they get cold, sleep on them to protect them at night, and teach them about food and water.
When the mama hen feels that the chicks are old enough to be on their own (around week 4 or 5), she will begin to distance herself from the chicks and may even peck at them if they follow her around. At some point, she will stop sleeping with them and you might find her right back in the nesting box with new eggs and you’ll have a broody hen on your hands once again.
Whew! I’m pretty sure that was (almost) everything you ever could have wanted to know about keeping, raising, moving, and breaking broody hens. Any tips or best practices you’d like to add? Leave a comment below and share your expertise!
Listen to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #39 on this topic HERE.
I have the very determined broodies at the moment and I was just thinking today that I should give one of them some fertile eggs to hatch. This is perfect timing!
Love timing like that! Best of luck with the hatching!
This is quite informative. Thank you. My question is tho, how can I encourage a hen to become broody ? It would be a great way to replenish the flock, and keep the freezer stocked .
I know they can be pricey, but another way to move them is to use a large pet travel crate. Or whatever they’re called. The plastic ones with the handle on top.
Set it up with bedding, bring it to her, put in all the eggs, then scoot her in there. Once she settles in, close her up, cover the crate to make it dark, and take her to wherever you had planned. Leave it covered til next morning. Set out food and water where she can see it, but far enough away so she doesn’t dump it when she comes out. Uncover just the front and open the door (make sure she can’t accidentally close it) and leave her.
It doesn’t work with all of them, some are extra testy, but I’ve had better luck moving a difficult hen this way because she never leaves the eggs and never feels exposed. And, it can be used to transport the entire family when needed. Easily washed, durable, and reusable.
Great idea re: the crate! We have several of those, so I’ll keep that in mind next time.
This was great information! We live in a central american country and were gifted 2 roosters and 2 hens. One of our hens just started laying an egg a day. We are hoping they are fertilized because Captain Cookie (rooster) has been busy with her for a few weeks now.
Because we are trying to start a flock from what we were gifted we are hoping to let her hatch her eggs. Do I need to wait till her nest is full before I know if she is broody? Also, if she lays an egg a day and needs a week to get her nest ready, will the first ones be duds or could they also produce chicks?
The first ones will not be duds. They won’t start developing until she starts sitting on them.
I had a friend who was convinced that one of her hens was just, gone, and then she came home with 18 chicks following her.
Keep heart.
We let our broody hen hatch some of our Araucana hens’ eggs. We put two eggs each day under our broody hen for about a week. You mentioned them all hatching on the same day, is it a problem if two hatch each day? This is our first experience with this and the first chicks should be hatching in 1 week! Thanks for any advice you. Can give! 🙂
I think the concern with the eggs hatching in intervals is that the hen might hatch a few and then end up leaving the rest of the eggs instead of continuing to sit on then. However, if she continues to sit while she monitors the hatched chicks, then I suppose it could work!
I may have missed this info, but once they’ve been broken of their broodiness, how long before they start laying again?
I have found my hens only sit for a day or two after the first chick hatches. She then leaves the nest and whatever eggs haven’t hatched. I only add eggs under her for the first day after I catch her sitting because of this. I have no incubator so can’t camplete the hatch.
I have one hen who will always be allowed to remain broody. She is the sweetest, calmest hen, and an incredible momma! She’s my main lady, and I’m perfectly happy to sacrifice those extra eggs to maintain her strong maternal skills. She has never once pecked me or threatened me, either. She will only lay for a week or two before going into another cycle; she was definitely made to be a momma!
Those hens are the best! Hopefully her chicks inherit her good traits!
I’m in the process of creating a new flock since my move to our farmhouse. This is great information since I’m out of practice after having moved to the suburbs for over 10 years. I’m so excited to not only get my flock, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for broody hens. Especially since you shared all these great tips about dealing with them and their chicks. Thanks so much for the very informative post!
So glad it was helpful Amy!
I sometimes order chicks and almost always use McMurray Hatchery. They have a beautiful catalog full of pictures and descriptions of types of birds. They almost always mention if the hen is a good setter or not. This is great info also if you want some dedicated to laying but not becoming broody.
My suggestion is to get 1-2 hens that are prone to be broody. Like the Australorps. I currently have one broody, I put 8 fertilized eggs under her yesterday. None of my eggs are fertile, so I had to find some on Craigslist.
I have a broody I need to break and I’m going to do the crate method in the run for 2-3 days that you suggested. To clarify, I leave her in the crate 24/7 for 2-3 days? I do not move her from the crate to the roosting bar at night and back to the crate again the next morning? I leave her in the crate in the run all day and night? That seems scary to me, lol, maybe not to a chicken 😉 ? I just wanted to clarify before I get it all ready and begin. Thank you for your help!!!!
Great post! Thank you. My Broody hen Mama is very determined! We’re at about 10 days now, but one problem… I didn’t realize for a few days (perhaps several as I had a new grandson born and my son cared for the flock) and at least 1 hen continued to get into Mama’s nest with her and lay. I think she even laid her egg there today. Mama choose a beautiful location inside a planter box full of ivy. She is fully inside with the only entrance a small opening from where I can peek in at her (only to be growled at) but I cannot get to her eggs and she only comes out late or middle of the night. I will follow all your tips, and it’s probably all I need as you were very through, but do you have any other insight for me? Thank you!
I have a broody I couldn’t seem to break up even after a week, I’ve given her 4 day old chicks, she is in a fairly small but confined area! Any hints, I can monitor her closely, haven’t put a light in there, do I need to? Feeding chick starter, what else?
I have one rooster and two hens ;the hens are eating their eggs please advise as to remove eggs or the feed…?
How long before a broody hen lays eggs after being broke?
Once the chicks are hatched, I would like to leave mine with the flock. However, is there a problem with the chicks being exposed to the rooster? Will he kill them?
I have one rooster and two hens ;the hens are eating their eggs please advise as to remove eggs or the feed…?
I have a total of twelve laying hens. One has been setting on eggs for a couple of weeks and multiple times I have gone in to gather eggs and she has moved to the wrong nesting box. How do I prevent her from moving. I’ve tried gathering eggs earlier and more often but I still sometimes find her moved to the wrong nest. I hope she hasn’t been off the eggs too long that they won’t hatch.
I have one rooster and two hens ;the hens are eating their eggs please advise as to remove eggs or the feed…?
I am following your advice and I have one chick today! She has 6 total under her. My only concern right now is she is in a nesting box which is about 1 foot off the ground. Once all are hatched should I worry about them falling out?
I like your advice on letting mother hen do it all but at what point does she show them the food and water? I really don’t want to separate her and the chicks from the flock but at some point should I move them down from the box? I have a wood planter filled with straw underneath it in case they fall.
Thank you for writing this post, it is full of good information.
Sonya
This is my question as well…were you able to figure anything out?
I have raised nest boxes in a smallish coop. Would it be better to move a broody hen to another location so nest can be on the ground (protected of course) and then integrate her and hopefully babies back into the flock? I have a rooster as well. will he ‘bother’ the chicks?
We have a broody hen, Asper, who has been sitting on her pile of eggs for 2.5 weeks. Today she must’ve got up to have a drink because another one of our hens is sitting on the pile now. Asper is pretty distraught and has been sitting next to the box staring at the other hen with the pile. Any advice?
I would remove the new hen and place her elsewhere with new eggs for her to sit on or if you dont want another broody hen place her on the perch in the middle of the night to discourage her and put Asper back on her eggs.
I had to put my broody hen in a enclosed area in the coop because when ever she got up to eat or drink another hen would sit on her eggs to lay an egg and brake eggs in the process. This went on for several days so we put a screen fenced around her. Once the little one hatches, should i open up the fenced area so theres no barrier between the mama hen and he chicks and the rest of the flock? thank you
If i leave the hatched chick with all my other chickens. Do they need chick starter the first day and do i switch all my hens to chick starter?
Hello.
What should one do if a broody hen suddenly stops sleeping on her eggs?
It’s January in Virginia and I have a broody hen. Spring arrives in March/April here. I do have a heat lamp in the coop. Is it still ok to simply let Alice raise her babes? I’m totally cool to let her do this, but should I bring her and the eggs inside the house to protect from the cold?
Please get it out there that eggs can take 25days to hatch in colder climates.today one hatched for me under hen,24 days after putting it under hen.
I have a hen that went broody last year at 3/4 months old and has went broody yet again this year. Definitely letting her have the glory of hatching some babies this year. She even has her own small coop, food and water.