Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, our Speckle very cleverly hatched five chicks for us in May and they are doing very nicely thank you. She's been away from them for about four or five weeks now and appears to be going broody again! We're thinking of using her to hatch some more as a friend of ours wants hens and cockerels so we wouldn't have to keep any but could have all the joy of the hatch again. Is she likely to be properly broody again does anyone know? I might also ask on but it's more friendly here so thought I'd check here first!

 

Mrs B

[Pinkybijou]

I've just popped on her to ask the exact same question! I recall that we both had baby chicks together Mrs B! We've just returned from holiday abroad to find that Dora has taken to the nestbox again. Baby Banjo is quite independent now and happily trotting around the garden with Doris, but Dora is definitely broody because she's plucked all the feathers from her chest again like last time and is resolutely sitting in the nestbox purring. Must read up on broody cages I think!

[Egg Lou]

Sorry to jump on your thread Mrs B.. but can I ask when your broody started to leave her chicks?

Mine are now 5.5 weeks old but mum is chasing them off most of the time.. for the last two days I have taken to putting her back in with the big girls during the day and back in with babies at night to keep them warm.. she is happier with this but worried its too soon.

 

Ta

[BeckyBoo]

Speckle laid an egg at 6 weeks and left them the same day - they looked a bit forlorn but she was absolutely fine, I think Nature normally knows best so if she's chasing them off she's probably ready to leave

[Egg Lou]

Thank you! thats reassuring.. just hope they don't get cold

[HENthusiastic]

My Henrietta went broody for about 4 weeks, then had a few weeks off and then went broody again (no fertile eggs, no chicks). What worried me was that she lost weight with the first broody and then hadn't put it all back on again by the time she was broody again. She has now finished her second broody stint and is thankfuly fattening up again. Has your hen lost weight? I'd make sure she was up to full weight before letting her brood again, otherwise they can get so thin. Good luck.

[bronze]

Quickly. Mine went broody again when her baby was about 8 weeks. They were still together too.

[Pinkybijou]

Just checked my calendar, and Banjo is 9 weeks so that's how long it has taken for Dora to go broody again.