[pookey]

one of my girls has been missing for 8/9 days (totally free range).  I have just found her tucked under an old feeder in an outbuilding.  She is sat on some eggs and attacks me everytime I try and touch her.  I have offered her some food and water and she wont take it.  I dont have a cockerel, could her eggs be fertilised or is it normal for them to do this to unfertilised eggs.

Should I move her or leave her.

[Aunt Sally]

No cockerel = no chicks

But she doesn't know that  

[pookey]

awwww bless her.

How do I get her out so she doesnt bite me.  Should I put a towel over her and lift or just get some thick garden gloves?

Also, what do I do with her once I get her out.  Wont she just keep going back.

[Aunt Sally]

I'm no expert on broodies, but there's a few members here who are !

[agapanthus]

awwww bless her.

How do I get her out so she doesnt bite me.  Should I put a towel over her and lift or just get some thick garden gloves?

Also, what do I do with her once I get her out.  Wont she just keep going back.

You could put a towel over her....cover her head and she will calm down.  The lock her away for a couple of day....this should hopefully turn her off.

[pookey]

crisis over, I used the towel over her and the gloves (but she didnt fight with the towel and stayed calm) then when I put her in the run she clucked for a couple of hours then had some food.  I let her out today and she ran to the nest but I had blocked off the outbuilding so I left her ad this afternoon she has been trotting round with the rest of her buddys so hopefully.......crisis over

The poor thing was sat on about 7 rancid eggs!  My heart was really beating when I cracked the first one in case there was a chick - I had to check for peace of mind.  We had a couple of peacocks roaming round here a few weeks ago so a roaming cockerel wouldnt have been impossible!!