hippy chick Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Penny my blackrock has gone broody again! She spent last September and October broody, she finally snapped out of it when the winter arrived. Today I went to collect the eggs and she was sat on them when i took them away she went mental. I have just been down to lock them up for the night and she was back on the nest growling. I thought that the cold weather was supposed to stop them being broody. I tried everything last year to snap her out of it, but nothing worked. Stupid chicken! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Perhaps you could order some fertilised eggs for her to sit, then at least you get a result at the end of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippy chick Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Mmmm thats an idea, but i didn't think they would hatch at this time of year. And what would I do if I got cockerels? I know this is a really daft question but.....Is there anyway of identifying cocks from hens before they hatch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Well if you were brooding cream legbars you would be able to tell them apart at a day old, and the males could always be offered to a local snake keeper who might be having feeding issues....just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 broody again! Not often a hybrid gets broody, especially twice and in winter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I wouldn't go down the hatching route unless you really want to hatch. As you say, there are the cockerels to deal with (you can't tell before hatching, and with some breeds you can't easily tell until they either lay or crow!) and your hen could easily go broody again as soon as she has raised her chicks. Your best bet would be to use a broody cage to snap her out of her broodiness - a dog/cat crate raised up off the ground which allows air flow round the hen to cool her down and also stops her getting comfortable enough to brood. 3 days and 3 nights in the cage of shame should do the trick. There's lots of advice on the forum about broody cages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Is it unfair to dunk!?? Our Light Sussex bantams are wonderful but two of the three are now broody (having only been laying since the day after Boxing Day) and, although one will come out from time to time the other is seriously broody and wont move from the Eglu. I have blocked off the nest box with a big tupperware container but Casserole just sits on the bars. Korma is broody too but not so obsessive as Casserole (started a week later.) It has been two weeks for Casserole and about 10 days with Korma - should I resort to dunking them in cold water or is this too cruel at this time of year? Poor Kiev is still laying and I can't block off the nesting box 100% of the time in case she needs to lay! Help! Korma Casserole Kiev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...