Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[EileenH]

I posed this problem a couple of times this week but "Ooops, word censored!"ody could help with an answer. I`ve looked in the books and they don`t help.

Beauty (a Miss Pepperpot)has gone broody for the second time, only three weeks after she started laying after the last time. I persuaded her against it by cooling her down so she`s stopped acting broody but, of course, she`s stopped laying.

That isn`t a problem in itself but I worry that she`s always going to have multiple `broodies`. Are some chickens more broody than others? Ginger hasn`t been broody at all yet. Beauty`s only about 30 weeks old - poor little thing!

[stoice]

I've had no experience of broodies yet so I can't say from experience but I've read on here that there are some breeds that are more prone to broodiness. Typically cochins. My mothers Black rock (Like a miss Pepperpot) went broody 3 months after getting her at 20 wks but sometimes I think it's just individual to each chicken.

[Tweety]

3 of my pure breed hens - 2 Wyandottes and 1 Vorwerk - have been broody on and off all summer but none of my hybrids, including 2 Miss Pepperpots, have been broody since I got them last year. I do think that some breeds are more prone to broodiness, but am surprised that your Pepperpot has been so affected - I thought that hybrids were less prone than pure breeds, but there is alwys the exception to the rule!

[Egluntyne]

Now that the cold weather is here, she should snap out of it fairly smartly.

 

The best way to cure a persistent offender is to use a broody cage.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My Pied Suffolk has been broody 2 or 3 times, the Columbine and Rhode Island Red never have. I used a broody cage with great success.

[chelsea]

oh yeah, some chickens can be very broody.

 

My 2 cochins are always broody, either together at the same time or alternate. From March this year to September we had a handful of eggs from Misty (and that's being generous!) and I think we had about 2 eggs from Star.

 

during their broody stints we tried everything from dunking to ice packs, broody cages, removing eggs. blocking off the nestbox. I just resigned myself in the end that they are that type of bird.

 

Once they came out of being broody, after a 10 day gap they would be broody again.

[Snowy]

I think you've just been unlucky with your pepperpot! Hybrids are generally less likely to go broody, but it's not uncommon. Whereas some breeds you can guarentee will go broody (cochins, pekins, silkies). But it also depends on the hens personality! She sounds quite determined to be a mum

 

Do you remove the eggs as soon as they are laid? Leaving them nothing to sit on can sometimes be enough to deter them sitting.

 

I have 10 hens and none have ever been broody, although a couple have given it a half hearted try, they gave up when booted off the nest!

[EileenH]

Thank you for your advice. I was getting quite worried!