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

[Gem_Seb]

Twice now in the past week ive gone out to the chooks when i get in from work to find Dave (girl,named by OH) sat on the 2 eggs from the day. Once i turf her off she stays off them! and is still laying herself! Is she starting to go broody?!! Do i just keep turfing her off when i get home or does it need to be more often? i can get someone to pop in during the day if need be as we are both out from 8am - 6.30pm

[woffle]

in my (limited) experience it sounds like she's broody. When our Maran did the same we just removed the eggs every day to much noise and agro from her - she just sat, very grumpily and stopped laying for about 21 days. There are a number of ways you're meant to be able to stop them - generally to do with lowering the temperature of her undercarriage; some people dunk them in cold water, others try and keep the nesting box aired etc.

 

My neighbour who has had poultry on and off for 20 years+ doesn't put much faith in any of them, there's not a great deal you can do about it in his opinion (he was actually gutted to miss the first two weeks of our girls going broody as he usually gets some eggs for them to sit)

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've used a puppy crate successfully a couple of times. It really snaps them out of it quickly and is probably the only reliable method if you're out all day and can't keep turfing her off the nestbox.

 

I got mine for under £20 on Ebay.

[Gem_Seb]

oo ok, stupid question but what do i do with it then!? My OH sister has probably got one i can borrow.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

This .

 

 

It needs to be raised off the ground to allow cool air to get to her nether regions. Food and water need to be available (coop cups are good, but try to put them where she won't stand on the edge and knock them off ).

 

I put Molly in the shed at night. It takes 3 days, usually.

[K-F-C]

This .

 

 

It needs to be raised off the ground to allow cool air to get to her nether regions. Food and water need to be available (coop cups are good, but try to put them where she won't stand on the edge and knock them off ).

 

I put Molly in the shed at night. It takes 3 days, usually.

 

 

That looks good! How fox resistant is it?

 

I dunked mine.... she didn't seem to mind and it did the trick. Although she hasn't laid since... almost two weeks now.

[Adams Egg]

One thing to think about before the broody route is the time that you getting back and going out to them. Is she just early going to bed and in fact roosting, some of mine are now going in by 6.30 - 6.45. If she is coming out in the morning and not staying put she may not be going broody. Good luck

[Chicken Shirl]

Is she flarring her wings and tail feathers and walking around the coop or garden clucking constantly. If so She's broody.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I agree it's not fox proof . I only used it on days when I was around but would now put it into the walk in run.

 

You could probably fit it into an eglu run but might have to take the whole front end off first.

[Gem_Seb]

That looks good, She does come out in the morning but then i dont know if thats jsut to have some food and water and then go back as i am gone moreless straight away then so cant watch! i dont think she is going to bed early as they normally stay out until the last little bit of light. She is still laying and the eggs i picked out tonight were boiling so had been sat on them for some time!! i put her outside and she just sat on the ground all puffed out! I think she is broody! just need to work out how i go about it now! i dont really have a place i can put a crate and raise it off the gorund until their new run is completed. at the moment i just come home and kick her out the house and shut the door! will this work if im persistant over the weekend?! My friend has suggested asking a local farm for some eggs for her to sit on and just let her hatch some out. Im guessing i will need to seperate her if i do this and then have to re-introduce her back to the others again?!

[Chicken Shirl]

You may give yourself a bigger problem if you let her hatch eggs. hens with chicks need quite a lot of attention. Is there room in the nest box to allow your other hens to lay? you could let her sit it out and take the eggs away every day. She will get cross with you but usually they are all talk and no action. Only the two options THE BOX or SITTING. The cold water treatment works, so they say. Never tried it. Just let mine sit it out.

[Chicken Shirl]

How's the broody today, Gem? any better ? You coping hun

[Gem_Seb]

well she seems ok. She came out with the others this morning and shes still really friendly, i can pick her up out the nestbox without being attacked and the others slept in there with her last night!

[Chicken Shirl]

That sounds hopeful maybe she was just a bit under the weather. Has she stayed out in the garden all morning? I'll bet your silkie chicks are delightful. you lucky girl

[Gem_Seb]

Knew i was a bit eager writing that! when i went back out at lunchtime she was back in the nest box and this time pecked me when i tried lifting her out! so i shut them all outside for the rest of the afternoon! When i went out to open the door back up she never ran straight back in so im hoping its helped!

 

Am i just fighting a loosing battle by just throwing her out the house everytime i spot her in there!??

 

Myu Silkies are lovley Shirl! i love them! OH says they look stupid but i think even he secretley likes them!! Ill have to try and get some pics up!

[Chicken Shirl]

You can only do your best.Keepputting her out the weather is cooling down now that might help to keep her little bottom cool. The trouble is that when you go to work the other hens will want to go in and lay, so you can't shut them all out of the nest box. Unless you have hens that lay early before you go to work. Mine rarely do that. Broodyness can be a real bind I hope you can find time to do some piccies of your silkies Nite Nite keep us posted.

[Gem_Seb]

Chicken still sat on eggs! thought i had cracked it by chucking her out the house for the say on Suinday when i t was cold as Monday she came out and wass still out when i got home from work. Then got home from work yest and she was back in the nest box!

 

Any other ideas welcome, Im not there enough during the week to keep chuicking her off and my other hens do not lay until lunchtime so i cant lock them all out the house when i leave in the morning as they need to use the nest box!!?? Help!! If i just leave her will she snap out of it on her own eventually?!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

If you haven't got the space to do a small dog crate, could you section off the door end of the run with bamboo canes so she can't get into the house & nest box during the day, then open it back up again when you get home?

 

Make sure there's food & water in both sides obviously

 

Sha x

[Gem_Seb]

Thats a good idea, I have a wooden house with run then another run attached so i could shut her out in the run that we have added on then she would still have space to walk around and the others will still have a bit of run and the house as well! Might have a look in the shed tonight and see what ive got!

 

Does the sticking them in cold water really snap them out of it as well?! Ive read a few people do this on here.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Never tried the dunking...I was so excited at Buffie going broody that I didn't bother! I did give her a luke warm...nearly freezing!...bath when she was newly broody & covered in broken egg yolk but that didn't put her off. I'd go for the segregation without a nestbox in the daytime & sleep together at night route personally...by the weekend she might be back to normal

 

Make sure it's a bit weatherproof after today's delightful weather as she won't have anywhere to shelter

 

Good luck,

 

Sha x

[Chicken Shirl]

Jolly good advice Sha.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Why thank you Ma'am

 

Sha x

[Chicken Shirl]

Why thank you Ma'am

 

Sha x

 

 

You are very welcome Have a nice day now