Unsecure chicken perches

[ali-s]

Iris, Speckled Star. Lost count of the times she went broody last year. Pancake flat but no problems lifting her out of the cube via the nest box opening.

Daisy, Sussex Star. broody once last year, bit half hearted really. very vocal when lifting her out of the cube.

Marigold, Speckled Sussex. First time broody. Huge girl and only just fits through the nest box opening, nearly knocked her head off dragging her out.

Sweet Pea and Poppy, Ista Bitsa's. First time broodies. Very vocal and very, very aggressive Stout gardening gloves worn to pick them up and deposit them in the garden.

 

All went broody overnight The cube door is shut and the five of them are jostling each other on the cube ladder trying to get back in.

[Daphne]

 

No advice really, other than have you got a huuuuuuuuge broody cage

 

Is it nice and sunny where you are? My lot have been laying like there's no tomorrow, even the lazy orps which is great. But I've also caught 2 doing that throwing straw about over their backs trick so I've given them a stern talking to!

[hunkydoory]

I have 6 Pekins (about 5 months old) of which 4 are now in lay. And I know they can be very broody.

 

My local park keeper (expert chicken keeper) tells me this warm weather often sets them off (but he's just angling to get them sitting on his pheasant eggs for him ).

 

They are all very partial to sitting on eggs that don't belong to them for longer than is necessary! Which in itself causes squabbles Only one of them will peck when I ask her to 'move along'. But the most persistent offender, who has begun to sit on the nest and prevent others from accessing it has become increasingly vocal as I haul her off. And it isn't a quite request - on her part She won't leave the run even though the others are FR and stands there squarking.

[ali-s]

 

 

 

Is it nice and sunny where you are?

 

Sunny here today but not very warm. Very windy for over a week with grey skies and heavy rain too.

Typical NE Scotland Spring weather, Summer weather too come to think of it.

 

I've got one wire broody cage/ cat carrier. I can split the broodies up and put them into the two empty Eglus . then the other girls will have the Cube nest box space to lay.

[beach chick]

5 broodies!!! oh my goodness.... one at a time is bad enough

[chicken bark]

Better get some hatching eggs sorted - they can take it in turns!

[oneyolktoanother]

5 broodies!!! oh my goodness.... one at a time is bad enough

 

 

hope they all come out of it quickly for you, you will need a rest yourself then

[ali-s]

All taken from the cube late this morning for free ranging while I was cleaning out the WIR. None of them dared to try to get back in the cube as they are terrified of black sacks and old compost bags The others all laid early and didn't need to get to the nest box so I draped a black sack on the cube ladder which kept the broodies away. I have just moved it so they can go to roost.

 

Hatching is not an option, I wouldn't know what to do with the males and I know I couldn't cull them myself.

 

I will try the sack on the ladder tomorrow once the others have laid.

[Plum]

I've found taking the nest box door off sends mine grumbling back into the run. Trouble is I can only do it when I'm out there or they'd be taking full advantage of the freedom.

 

Might try your scarey thing on the ladder idea.

[chocolateeclaire]

Buffy goes broody so often that I had to invest in a dog cage and now at the first sign she is dumped straight in!!!

None of the others ever go broody - for which I am very thankful

Claire

[madchickenlady]

I have 2 out of 9 broody at the moment, but as they're mostly pekins they'll all be at it soon enough Most summers it's like a relay race as they pass the baton

[bruciebumpkin]

Our two are taking it in turns to go broody, a week or two at a time... so the brick has to go back into the nest box!!

[Mollie333]

I have 14 Pekins.. Only one broody at the moment, sitting on 10 eggs!

[craftyhunnypie]

I've got 2 at the moment.. a silkie & a frizzle pekin. We turf them off the nest once all the eggs have been laid. They try to trick & make out that they aren't broody. But once the others have all laid, off they tootle & sit & sit!

Blimey 2 is bad enough out of 28 girls - how on earth are you coping with all those?

 

Emma.x

[ali-s]

Only three broodies now. Daisy has given up as I thought she would and surprisingly Iris too. Another afternoon spring cleaning the cube and run. The noise of the pressure washer kept them away from the cube and the fresh wood chips in the run has freaked them out

 

It amazes me how you can drag a turkey sized Marigold Chicken out of the cube nest box door, give her cuddles and plonk her down in the garden and she still manages to have two eggs tucked under her wings.

 

A plus point of having broodies is that no other Chickens can get into the nestbox to sleep and poo overnight. the nest box is clean and so are the eggs.

[Margalot]

My this is the first time I have had to deal with broodies! My hens are just a year old. Lola went broody last Sunday and Mrs Wiggums has decided to join her! Lola was trufed out of the nest box and put in makeshift sin bin under the cube, but she is determined and just sits there all pancaked out. so yesterday she had her bottom end dunked in a big tub of cold water, but no she is still determined!

 

Its a job to manage though, chucking them out in the morning from the cube, I let them free range until the others have laid their eggs then cube door shut and they go back in! Lola has tried to make lots of makeshift nests, in the dustbath, and digging holes in the lawn! I thonk it must be catching though as when Henny Penny laid her egg yesterday she took an awfully long time leaving it, so no doubt she will be the next hopeful Mummy hen.

 

I might have to invest in a dog crate too

 

One question though ...do they carry on trying to be broody all summer???? please no

 

Still it gives lots of opportunity for cuddles I suppose they are so fluffed out and I just love that squawk they make!

 

Michelle

[ali-s]

It seems like all the broodiness is over I think the disruption to the Cube and the WIR at the weekend put them off. I've also had to confine their free ranging to behind some poultry netting as all the girls where going off into the field and eating the OSR plants So instead of thinking about being broody they spent their free ranging time trying to finds ways of breaching the netting and freedom.

 

Margalot, Iris the speckled Star was broody all the time last year. I couldn't get her out of it. She would be broody for up to 3 weeks, take a couple of weeks to start laying, lay for about a week and then go broody again. This is the second time this year she has been broody.

 

The empty green Eglu is now ready for any broodies should their be more than one at a time.

 

Marigold has decided to go into a moult in disgust at not being allowed to sit on any eggs. Of course I now have to wait until the five ex broodies decide to lay again.

 

I am so glad that the broodiness is over and it wasn't so bad as I thought it would be

[Alis girls]

Not sure if I have a broody or not - got a softy on sat and then 2 eggs from 3 - but they are moulting. everyones elses moult in Dec which is normal but mine do it in April - which is warmer I s'pose. bathsheba spent ages in nestbox but didnt produce anything - seems well - must be time of year

[grageomat]

I've got 2 at the moment.. a silkie & a frizzle pekin. We turf them off the nest once all the eggs have been laid. They try to trick & make out that they aren't broody. But once the others have all laid, off they tootle & sit & sit!

Blimey 2 is bad enough out of 28 girls - how on earth are you coping with all those?

 

Emma.x

 

I have exactly the same! a red silkie and black frizzle Pekin and they do exactly the same the Pekin (Minstrel) is the worst though she been at it for weeks now and just refusing to give it up caught her a few times rolling eggs from one box into the other for her little brood!