4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[jills]

5 weeks ago the sun came out, and sure enough, Nessa went broody again just like last year. Last time I tried everything: broody cage, dunking in buckets of cold water and so on but nothing really worked and she was broody on and off all summer, but never for more than 2 or 3 weeks at a time. This summer she has sat tight for 5 weeks, only eating and drinking for a couple of minutes when I turf her out of the nest box. I suppose my question is, is this normal? I thought that as eggs take about 3 weeks to hatch, they were never broody for longer than 3 weeks. Perhaps we should hold a competition for the longest period of broodiness? What have other people found? Isn't it really bad for the hen to be broody for so long?

[Seagazer]

My was broody a couple of times last summer and she is broody now, she actually turned round to bite me today! I'm waiting to get a broody cage from a friend for her as I tried dunking last year and it didn't really work. I'm hoping she'll snap out of it quickly then.

[Guest]

I have my second week of new broody hen..I do move her over in the as she tends to sit in the middle of the nest..After lunchtime if I am around I turf her out and shut the cube door...she is always hungry and drinks loads..as long as I am getting a few eggs from whoever I dont mind too much. I have just now opened the door and guess who is back in top spot!

 

Next year she can sit on some fertile eggs..couldnt stand it if another goes broody..then will resort to other methods

 

indie