Part 0800.0005

[jellybean29]

my 2 orpingtons keep going broody its a constant cycle of being broody for a couple of weeks returning back to there normal state without laying for a while then they will lay again but this doesnt last long as after a week they go broody again.

i cant put them in a crate for a few days as there 2 of them and my other chicken would become distressed at being left alone.

my options are rehomeing one of the orpingtons, as i have a friend who would take one or getting another chicken and building a next box and placeing this in the house during the day so the chicken would have somewhere to lay could this work??

 

when i got the orpingtons i knew they went broody but didnt reliase they would spend half the year siitting in the nest boxs!! im just thinking of my maran as she becomes quite lonely.

[Mollie333]

Get another Maran, she will get lonely, yes. But i think you should introduce two new girls not just the one.

Orpingtons do go broody alot, which is good for me, as i may be getting some (watch mine not fall broody in season!) to hatch under. But theres no real need to sell them unless you are keeping the girls for egg production rather than pets. Orpies don't lay a great deal of eggs i don't think.

[miller30]

All 3 of my orpingtons went broody at the same time so i gave them all eggs and they hatched me more orpingtons should be fun next year

[jellybean29]

if i were to get another chicken/chickens any idea on what breed??

id want a bantam that was quite,not to flighty,non broody and a goodish layer that was consistant

[Mollie333]

Most bantams do go broody, unfortunately. Maran bantams aren't 'small' so i think you would get away with a breed like which is based on Rhode island red, like the Warren, it is a Light Sussex crossed with a Rhode Island Red so is a good layer. i have two of these and i get eggs everyday and they are such characters.

[Roobaloo]

I only have two hens and one was broody for ages. This meant the non-broody (Suki) was left alone....initially she was very upset but got over it as she knew Toph (broody) was still about...she just didn't like to free-range alone. Otherwise she was fine.

 

In the end we put Toph in a broody cage...she was 'cured' in 48hrs (we left her in for 3 days but we left her out to free range on the 2nd day and she made no attempt to return to the nest, there were no "angry feathers" or clucking)

 

If you have a walk-in run, just put the broody cage in there....if not, sit the cage as close to the run so the other girl can see her and she'll be fine.

 

Besides, having more hens won't solve the issue if two go broody at once!! So it's still better to have a way to manage the situation!!