Yolky Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I have a , Peaches, who keeps going broody. I thought that breed had the brood bred out of them but it would seem not. Having an eglu means it is such a pain in the bum because there is only one nest and she is hogging it! My other girls lay at different times of the day and so I can't block it off. I do have a broody area which I put her in at night (this is 1sq m) with some food and some water but she can't stay in this bit all day as this corner is also the really cool bit of the run which never gets the sun and so the girls spend most of their day there out of the heat. Her being broody always seems to unsettle the girls too and I have more days with just one egg than with 2 when Peaches is broody. There usually is no poo in the nest but whenever she is broody there seems to always be poo to clean out of the nest and often I don't get to it in time and I have poo covered eggs. I only have three girls which normally provide enough eggs for us. At the moment I have 1 decent egg in the tray and 2 completely covered in poo (when whoever it is poos in the nest it seems to be smeared over the bottom and so seems to get every where and is hard to get out because it has to be washed out) I know I could put auboise in but I was worried that, during non broody times, having something nice in the nest may encourage her to go broody. I don't want to get any more chickens at the moment but I it is such a pain that Peaches keeps going broody all the time. My plan was that if one was to stop laying or pass on I would then add two more for fresh laying. Sorry for the rant but its a right pain when she is broody and she is hard to snap out of it! Last time I ended up letting her get on with it and just chucking her out the nest a few times a day for food but I just had hardly any eggs at this time and it went on for about a month and was soooo nice when, at last, I had three layers again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 What a pain . When you say a broody area, is it a cage of some sort? If not, would a puppy crate snap her out of it? It's worked for me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 If you look on the above pic it is the space under the eglu. There is weldmesh on three sides and we slide a piece of wood over the third so she can't get out. I think what I need to do is get my OH to make something in there that I can hang the other grub and superglug on so she can just stay in there all the time. At the mo I use make shift feeders (the little pots which I usually use for grit) for food and drink which is not enough to leave her there for any lenght of daylight time. I just love my eggs. Me and my youngest have them for lunch a few times a week and we also have an egg dinner once a week too for all 5 of us. When she is broody there just isn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Although that looks great (I love your setup too ) I think the point of the cage is to keep the chicken off the ground so air circulates round her nethers. Perhaps she's not cooling down enough in your current setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 You could be right there. Mind you with the weather we have here at the moment I am not sure if it is possible for her to cool down lol! Can I just ask what you put the food/drink in while she is in the cage? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Like ANH says you'll have to have air circulating underneath her day and night to cool her down. Might also be an idea to try the dunking in cold water method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 You're so lucky I want a broody one now oh well will have to wait (or come and steal peaches! ) Good Luck Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brambles Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 the broody crate was the only thing to sort out bluebelle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Can I just ask what you put the food/drink in while she is in the cage? Thanks I started off using the coop cup I used for grit and a Pyrex jug held on with a bungee but she tended to stand on them and tip everything out . I now use a couple of tupperware type containers held on with garden wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 We used galley pots like these attached to the dog crate (which was on bricks) - worked in 3 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Thanks all. I am going to look in the local free ads for a cage. Tom I would loan her to you but I would be too worried about re-intergration. I also think the kids would miss her, they are so attatched to them. She is a really lovely broody though, she doesn't peck me or anything when I get her out of the nest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Thanks all. I am going to look in the local free ads for a cage. Tom I would loan her to you but I would be too worried about re-intergration. I also think the kids would miss her, they are so attatched to them. She is a really lovely broody though, she doesn't peck me or anything when I get her out of the nest. I have a friendly speckledy broody and cant wait for her to finish ..the only advantage I have is the nest area in the cube is bigger but I am like you putting her out in the afternoon but my egg production is down 2-3 eggs of 5 birds..sometimes just 2 so I can imagine your others are not getting alook in at the nest.. I still have yet to try a dog crate which I do have ...but now its so hot am worried she is going to fry on the metal etc good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Thanks all. I am going to look in the local free ads for a cage. Tom I would loan her to you but I would be too worried about re-intergration. I also think the kids would miss her, they are so attatched to them. She is a really lovely broody though, she doesn't peck me or anything when I get her out of the nest. Don't worry, I understand about the intro thing. Good Luck Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarspice Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 i have a speckled star who is broody for the 2nd time this month this time i am trying the dunking in cold water but she seems to enjoy it then goes straight back on the nest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Dog crate was the only thing to sort out my two broody girls. Tried dunking, ignoring, etc etc. Have finally today got two eggs!!! hurrah, first time for about six weeks. Whilst I felt very mean isolating them in the crate, and leaving them in it in the eglu run overnight..I only had to do it for two nights before they decided to change their ways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 My Bluebelle is a pathetic broody, she is so greedy that she doesn't even manage to sit on the nest for that long as she has snack attacks! When she does commit herself though she gets quite distraught trying to get to the nesting area as I keep it shut off when the rest of the girls have laid. This has been going on for 2 months and she is getting quite heavy now with all the food and inactivity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hennymom Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 sorry to hear about your broody girl we had a problem with that and Like you we put her somewhere similar to your underneath space but clever hubby bought a couple of wild bird feeders and filled them with pellets and water and hung them on nails attached to the wooden frame and to ensure she could keep cool undercarraige wise bought a broom/mop handle and pushed it right through the meshing so she could roost at night on it and the cool night air could get to her.... and she had her own food and drink, and laid straw in one corner for her to sit on but put the straw on a raised piece of weldmesh with a perspex top on with hloes punched into ti to let the sir through..a couple of days later she was fine... it sounds hard work but it helps ...good luck with mrs broody drawers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 A friend has lent me her Bichon's puppy crate and I'm going to have to put Butch in tomorrow (once I've got another feed cup) as she's been broody for a couple of weeks now. There was I complaining about being overrun with eggs and now I'm about to run out. Wish me luck. I must admit to being worried about leaving her in it overnight. Seems sort of cruel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
