BeckyBoo Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 .....well after nearly a month of Speckle sitting hogging the nest, growling at everyone and walking round like a sour faced puffed up broody hen I've finally taken action. Not sure it'll work but here you go, I've thrown her out of the run and she is currently free-ranging (wether she likes it or not! ) the others are in the run and, funnily enough, Hermione has legged it straight into the nest box and sat down. She's been there for about 20 minutes now so we're hopeful of an egg. Lulu has been up and down the ladder like a chicken desperate to lay so you never know, a couple of days like this and they may start laying, a couple of days and Speckle might get the message, get some air to her bottom and stop being a broody hen! 7 hens and only one egg a day - it was THE most expensive free range egg in the world! She's got plenty of access to food (she's free ranging - fuschias, tomatoes, they're all there waiting for her!!) plus I've put down corn and pellets for her to forage for, plus she drinks water from the childrens slide anyway. Wish me luck, we've been so busy we haven't had time to tackle this before. Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Good luck - a couple of days out and about will hopefully break her broodiness (unless she finds somewhere else to sit ). I wonder why they persevere for so long when they have no fertile eggs under them, strange . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 If only they could count to 21 days and stop... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 22, 2007 Author Share Posted August 22, 2007 Thanks, I'm going out now so have had to put her back in - she shot STRAIGHT in to the nest as if to say, "Well, about bloomin time too!" She's not a happy bird! Didn't know chickens got PMT this bad! Mrs Bertie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Good luck. I snapped one of my girls out of it by putting one of those frozen blue ice pack thingummybob whatsits in the nest box. Others have not found that this works. I also turfed her out of the Eglu (I had to use a broom handle as she was not at all suited! ) When everyone had laid, I closed the Eglu door. Some recommend dunking their bottoms (the hens bottoms that is! ) two or three times a day in cold water. I hope you find a solution.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 The broody cage is generally most effective. Susannah resisted cold water, and got very distressed if we shut the eglu door. She also just sat down in the dust bath like a pseudo nest which kind of defeated the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 22, 2007 Author Share Posted August 22, 2007 would a cat basket do for a broody cage? We tried a blue ice block but she sat on it ( ) and I worried about her getting frostbite on her bum! Trouble is I'm now back at work and for once I'm on day shifts so won't be around to "cure her". OH keeps threatening her with the pot but even that hasn't snapped her out of it! Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 A broody cage does work, but I do feel bad about putting them in there. Sherbert our lemon cuckoo pekin has just gone broody for the 4th time this summer, so it was straight into the slammer for her. But I keep feeling soft & letting her out again after a night al fresco, & its straight back up to the nest I am now resolved to sit it out until shes out of the phase..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 I found an egg on TOP of the blue freezy thing... both my Silver Sussexes seem to go broody, so I just boot them out of the run and leave them to it. I keep telling them it won't hatch, but they just wont listen! have not had courage to do either the bottom-dunking or the broody cage, but they dont seem to like sitting down outside in this cold, damp weather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutechicky Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I tried the dunking technique as I *tried* to help the neighbors girls free range a bit more!! Much to my embarassment...it didn't work. I think the the neighbor just thinks I wanted to be cruel to her chickens Sometimes I suppose there isn't much you can do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 25, 2007 Author Share Posted August 25, 2007 Well not trying to count them before they've hatched, but keeping Speckle out seems to be doing the trick! She still legs it in as soon as she can but she's quite happy free ranging on her own and today, for the first time in about 4 weeks, we had 2 ! Hurrah - seems she's going to get kicked out on her own for a while yet - we were up to 5 eggs a day! I actually had to BUY some today! Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladylucan Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I am actually having trouble with one of my broody bantams, everytime i take her out of the nest she literally fights me to get back in, she darts around me and as there is another way in, she runs around the back and goes in that way, We can take up to an hour to play this game,!!!, in the end i give up, and yep she wins,,,, I make sure that there are no eggs under her, and when i lift her up i spray cool water on her bare belly hoping that will work, but so far no luck, guess i may have to wait it out toooo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
