Miss Behavin Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Help! Any advice welcome...one of our hens (bought as POL in April) has been broody for over 3 weeks now. We have been making sure she drinks and eats and keeping her out of the nest in the day. We tried to nip it in the bud with a cold spray with a hosepipe, but i think we were too late to stop the hormones kicking in. Last night we put a brick in the nest overnight and she has tried to hatch it! It's not just her that is an issue now, because she hogs the nest until i can seperate her in the morning our other 2 hens have stopped laying. Should i take an offer of some fertile eggs for her to hatch? I didn't want to at first as i thought it would affect the group dynamics, which were really good. Any advice welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 im not a expert on this - im sure someone with more knowledge will come along soon though! i have a on/off broody, she is always in the nesting box and faffing in there tucking eggs underneath herself! i wait till i have got all my eggs then close the cube door, i dont know if thats something you could do? it is quite a long time she has been broody though. if you think more chickens could be the way forward then do it but you may have to consider some seperate housing as it will be more threatening to your exsisting flock to just keep them in the same housing, could have some nasty probs doing that, sorry i cant be more help xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Have you tried putting her in a broody cage? I have found this to be the best way to snap them out of it - having said which, I have a very determined Wyandotte now in her 4th week of broodiness, and even the cage hasn't worked this time! Unless you really want to hatch some chicks under her, I would try the broody cage approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I agree ... a broody cage should do the trick. It has never failed me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 How long should I keep Gilda in the sin bin? I've tried this broody cage lark before and it didn't work with Mary, but now Gilda has gone all mumsy on me and I'm determined it's got to be broken, as she is stopping the others from laying and eating any eggs laid by the others on the bars I put her in last night, and I seem to remember it's 3 days & nights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yep, 3 days and nights usually does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thanks Tweety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I have sectioned of a meter of my cube train for my endless stream of broodies, they spend 3 days and nights in it until they are reformed! It is the only way to really break them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
