Single hen

[tom123]

I was wondering can you make a hen go broody because I only have two hens and i would love some more but would prefer not to use an incubator is this possible?

 

Any tips please.

 

Thanks

[The Dogmother]

You can Tom, but it's not easy and I wouldn't recommend it.

 

It's a bit late in the year to be hatching - I'd wait until the weather is warmer next year, then you'll have plenty of time to get together all the stuff that you will need too.

[Egluntyne]

Plus you would need the services of a rooster or buy some fertile eggs from ebay or similar....often dicey.

 

And then there would be the age old problem of what to do with any male hatchlings.

 

Why not wait till spring and buy some POL pullets?

[chickenanne]

echo the advice above! Step one would be, make the weather warmer and have the days begin to lengthen, so realistically, this means waiting until spring. Some breeds (and some hens) go broody more easily than others.

The other problem is, you might end up with a lot of cockerals.

[tom123]

Thanks guys I think you are all right but the eggs I have arranged to get from a friend with a cockerel so that is not a problem but maybe I do wait until spring.

 

Thanks Tom.

[HENthusiastic]

Don't forget to make plans for any boys you have before you start. You will either need to make sure you have people who will take them and look after them; or you have to be sure you can kill them.

Personally I would love to raise some chooks. I have a hen who is currently on her THIRD broody phase, but I can't find anybody who wants a rooster, and I couldn't kill them. So raising my own chooks is a no go for me.

[tom123]

Could you not keep him???

[Steve.]

Could you not keep him???

 

Depends how deaf, and close your neighbours are!

[tom123]

True!

 

I have old neighbors so I'm alright!

Joke!

[chickenanne]

... they will also fight: most cockerals won't abide another male around "their" girls, unless you keep a very big flock in lots of space.

[MedusA]

I'd quite like to find a way to stop Squib from going broody every month. She only started laying in July and has had 3 spells in the broody cage already. I wouldn't mind so much but that means at least one week in four when I don't get any eggs!

 

Any tips?

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, but if you get a persistant brooder then there's not stopping her. If you catch them early (first day or so) and bung them in the slammer then you should be able to get them straight out of it.

 

If it's any consolation, my Ruby and Lavinia both spent most of the summer alternating in the broody cage

[chickenanne]

I agree: some are just more inclined to it than others. Cooler weather and shorter days will fix the issue from now-ish till spring, and I guess after that it's jsut a case of keeping a very close eye and acting immediately.

Some people say they're more inclined to be broody when young, but don't know how true this is.

[MedusA]

Sorry, but if you get a persistant brooder then there's not stopping her. If you catch them early (first day or so) and bung them in the slammer then you should be able to get them straight out of it.

 

If it's any consolation, my Ruby and Lavinia both spent most of the summer alternating in the broody cage

 

It's a relief to know I am doing everything I can, Clare. I put her in the broody cage as soon as she seems broody, but even so, it does take at least three days to snap her out of it. I've tried letting her out of the cooler sooner and she just went straight back to being broody. 3 days seems to be my magic number! But of course she doesn't start laying again for a few days.

 

She is very young, so maybe she will grow out of it.

[Gallina]

I don't think that the Eglu is high enough for a cockerel to roost: my 16-week old cockerel's head is nearly touching the top already. They stand so very tall.

 

I have had one failed attempt with eBay eggs, and if I ever have another go, I will go for auto-sexing breeds. You tell yourself not to get attached to the chicks, but you can't help yourself when they start to get tame and run towards you.

 

Buying pullets still involves the slaughter of the boys: it's just that someone else does it for you....

[The Dogmother]

Medusa, I always recommend 3 days in the slammer, 24/7. It doesn't always work though if the weather is hot or the bird is persistent. Lavinian had it bad this summer and I let her out after 3 days, kept an eye on her as she scratched around the garden, then when my back was turned, she was back on the nest!

 

I don't get too bothered about it, but do remember the tip them off the nest to get some food and water.