Tilly Bud Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Hello everybody, I'd appreciate any advice you have, I've never had a broody hen before ! So Beatrice seems to have decided she'd like some babies (with or without a man) and she's been sitting on her eggs. I forgot to collect them one day and the next morning noticed she'd been an awful long time laying. When I went down to check on her she was sat on 4 eggs (2 from the previous day and 2 from the day I checked). I left her a while in case she was still laying and an hour later went down, she was still there. So I moved her off the eggs and took them away. She's normally a very quiet hen but she caused a good 10 minutes of noisy fuss as I took them. Today she's been out in her larger garden pen and I found her snuggled down among the bushes, sat on another egg. This may have been one she'd just laid or one I'd missed collecting (sometimes they lay them in the bushes and I can't find them). Shall I give her pretend eggs and take away the real ones so she can satisfy her broodiness or is that encouraging it? Should I just keep taking them away? I want to do the right thing because I love her very much and don't want her to be unhappy . Thanks everyone. Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 To be honest, if you leave her to it, she's likely to brood forever. Unless I want to hatch any fertile eggs, I just pop any broodies in the broody cage for three days, then they are back to racing around the garden and eating me out of house an home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickyhazel Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 An icepack in the nestbox works, although the others won't like it, as does an object blocking off the nestbox. Anti-broody cages do work but you have the cost of buying them, so there are cheaper options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Mine didn't cost anything - I got it off Freecycle/Freegle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I swapped 2 dozen eggs for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopelu Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Hi I have the same problem with Black Betty, she has been broody for a few days now, today I owsted her from the eglu and have shut the door. Is there any other way to deal with them apart from the broody cage idea? She is loosing a lot of feathers from underneath now as well, I think the others are fed up with her as they cause an awful noise in the morning at laying time because she wont budge I think and our egg production is now suffering! Grrr rascal hen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopelu Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 O just seen the ice block idea, off to put one in ...... oh and then open the eglu door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angusrose Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I had the same problem - 2 broody hens. I tried everything. In desperation I tried one last thing - toy snakes. No kidding, one in each nest box, and one where they'd huddle down if I shut the coop up. Lo and behold they snapped out of being broody, one within a few days of starting, and now are both laying eggs again. Give it a try and remember to leave the snakes in overnight so that they perch rather than nest down on the floor. Once they show signs of normality remove the snakes but keep an eye on them - they could be bluffing. Angus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Snakes? Cool! Got to try that. Was so fed up and at my wits end with my two 'flumped' bantams (see previous recent posts) I went out and bought a broody cage (£30!!!aargh!) as couldn't get one on Freegle. Popped Mabel in it and she stopped being broody after one day! Meanwhile Hetty, without her fellow broody and despite still being in the eglu with access to the nestbox gave up also! After spending a king's ransom on a wire cage! Does anyone know does having one broody set others off? It seemed that my two were permanently squished together encouraging each other. Have also moved my whole eglu/free-ranging set up which is much better for the human element in the family as well as the chooks, and that seems to have given them something to take their minds of being broody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 They don't set each other off - it's just the warmer weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I have one that goes half hearted broody once in a while. Dunking her in cold water several times a day has worked in the past quite happily. Well, happily for me, the chook in question doesn't always enjoy a cold bath...... She does tend to be only half hearted though, and I wouldn't do this if it very cold outside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Hi, we broke our araucana's broodiness by 1) placing frozen veg in the nesting box & 2) kicking her out of the eglu & into the hen garden. Just had to be brutal - couldn't deal with prolonged broodiness. Not good for hens or owners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Bud Posted May 15, 2010 Author Share Posted May 15, 2010 Thank you everyone, you've been so helpful I'm going to put some ideas into motion today and keep a close eye on her! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
