keyhole kate Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Brilliant outcome Jackian Broodies are a persistent pain here too I have had up to three at a time like everyone else I have tried all the methods in the end the dog crate and time is the only way I just have to be as persistent as they are its just the price you have to pay for having cute fluffy bum silkies and pekins broodies are also a magnet for red mites so as mean as it seems it for the whole flocks best interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 It'll be 3 days and nights in prison for Penny this evening. Do you think I should let her out inti the garden tomorrow afternoon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Some broody crate instructions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Thanks Dogmother. Having had her three days and nights, Penny has been out with the others all day, has had the longest dust bath ever, and so far looks normal. I guess bed time will be the real test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 During the last 2 days Penny has been normal chicken during the day. At bedtime though she's gone into the nest rather than perching. Doesn't look flat and broody, but I've shoved her and Amy out to sleep on the perch in the run just in case. Is this necessary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Absolutely, block off the nest box at night to stop them sleeping in it, or they will foul the litter in there, and the heat will make them become lice/mite magnets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acw295 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 One of my pekins has been broody since April. She is a right madam, we have managed to break it but she lays for a few days and then staight back to broody. She is a fatty and does eat and drink when we take her off the nest. We gave up with the broody cage as made absolutely no difference whatsoever. So we now just leave her to it but lock her out when we can, close the nest boxes at night, lift her off several times a day and give her a good talking to The others have been broody but have been stoppable and have returned to normal. Polly though is a determined, aggressive egg stealer who cares not for my interventions I have come to accept that this will be her every Spring and Summer. In Winter she is a poppet We aren't fussed about the eggs though - ours are pets and the odd egg a nice extra, so I don't mind that she is never in lay in summer (she does lay most of autumn and winter though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 This is probably a most silly question,but if they are broody do they sit on eggs???My Amber Star is back to sitting in nest box,chirping loudly when being lifted,eats when put out but hops back in.The others have laid in different nest boxes but she sits in empty box.I thought they sat on all eggs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acw295 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Mine sits on eggs if there are any, but will sits for hours on nothing too. When none were in lay she was still broody for 5 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 This is probably a most silly question,but if they are broody do they sit on eggs???My Amber Star is back to sitting in nest box,chirping loudly when being lifted,eats when put out but hops back in.The others have laid in different nest boxes but she sits in empty box.I thought they sat on all eggs? Not necessarily, some will just sit my pekin, who can be a great mum when she is hatching is on her usual summer-long broody session. She gets booted off regularly, but it's nigh on impossible to break her of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 My silkie and my bantam both leave the nesting box to do their business. There's hardly ever any poo in there. Guess I'm just lucky. My pekin frizzle on the other hand was a nightmare all the time she was on her eggs I kept having to check the nest box for broody poos. Not a nice job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Know what you mean Chickabee ,my OH thought the dog had been in the WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 UPDATE - 3 days and nights in the broody crate did it for Penny. She's been back out and about with Amy for 6 days now and isn't even trying to sleep in the nest box any more. She isn't laying again yet but if it's no more difficult than this every time I'll be well happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Great news. She ought to be laying again in about a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 It takes mine 2 weeks after being broody, dogmother. Is that because I leave them to it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 No idea I'm afraid, any hen I've ever crated has started to lay about a week after their tenure ended. Without seeing what you're doing, I can't be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I'm not doing anything, never have. Just leave them to it. Pinch the eggs twice a day. Think I'll leave it be. Got enough eggs to feed us and our neighbours . It's a bonus to get the little eggs with their big yolks when they're laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Me again. It was handy to have other broodies when my broody white silkie refused to sit on the fertile eggs I bought. Only upside I can see to letting them get on with things. Meant my poor pekin frizzle was broody for 6 weeks, but she's a very happy mummy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I used to have two pekins who would sit in tandem when I was hatching; they made excellent mothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Brilliant. dazzle had a broody mate, a red partridge silkie. Unfortunately we lost her towards the end, from either red mite, heat stroke or fright from thunder Storm . They were so lovely together I feel the urge to get another silkie now, but I'm fighting it, as not decided whether to keep my 2 girl chicks yet. They are cream legbars ( skittish) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Ten days after leaving the broody crate and Penny is laying again. Hooray! Good girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Well done Penny Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
