One Too Many Broody Hens!

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LittleRedHen

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One Too Many Broody Hens!
« on: July 17, 2013, 11:52 »
I have a broody Black Rock that I've placed 5 fertile eggs under.  She's been good as gold now since I did this four days ago.  She comes off the nest three times a day to 'take care of business' and then is straight back in there.  Today, when she did it the second time, our Speckledy went in and plopped on that nest and even when taken off, goes right back in there.  Meanwhile I have the raging hormonal hen outside, very out of sorts.  I'm hoping that the Speckledy is just laying an egg to go with the others.  This isn't her normal time of day to lay eggs though.   ::)
« Last Edit: July 17, 2013, 11:54 by LittleRedHen »
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ANHBUC

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2013, 17:58 »
They don't have a normal time of day as it takes over 24 hours to produce an egg so the time of day varies until they miss a day and start early morning again.

It is best to have your broody separate from your other hens as it will encourage them to go broody.  They also can damage the eggs when two of them are fighting to sit on the nest.

How old is your Black Rock, mine have not shown any sign of broodiness and I think they are nearly 3 years old?
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LittleRedHen

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2013, 08:45 »
My Black Rock is one year old.  I previously had a Black Rock that lived to be a ripe old age and never went broody.  I think right now we have two devoted aunties that sit on the nest for her while she tends to her needs off the nest.  Right now, I only have three hens, so if the other two go broody, I'll just share out the fertile eggs that are under just one hen now.

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ANHBUC

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2013, 08:53 »
My broodies would never share, they just steal each others eggs and some get damaged so I find it better to put them in a broody coop.  They are all different though and if yours happily share they should be fine.  Won't you miss their eggs though?

The incubator I invested in has a setting for a cooling period to mimic the broody coming off the nest to feed, drink and of course do a huge smelly broody poo!   :blink: :wacko:

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LittleRedHen

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2013, 11:59 »
Now THAT'S a fancy incubator!  Every time you think they can't improve them much, they come up with something like that!  Several years ago I had a Speckledy that I just couldn't get out of broodiness, even trying every trick in the book.  She was getting thin and dopey.  I finally relented and let her have some fertile eggs.  She hatched them out and was a great mum.  Never went broody again.  So as soon as this hen went broody, I didn't fool around, I plopped some fertile eggs under her right away.  We need our flock replenished anyways. 

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ANHBUC

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2013, 13:40 »
Hopefully she will sit full term as she is still young, having said that my Welsummer bantam managed to hatch a brood of 9 (she was 15 months old when sitting).

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LittleRedHen

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2013, 13:57 »
I am so very grateful for being part of an allotment group.  There are several people in it that I think I might be able to borrow an incubator.  That said, I have been very nervous that she will go off the brood.  She's as nutty as a fruitcake in the best of times!   ::)

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ANHBUC

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Re: One Too Many Broody Hens!
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2013, 14:09 »
Another bantam I have went broody at around 16 weeks old.  There was no shifting her off the nest and she gave a good peck and shouting at you if disturbed.  I put her in a rabbit hutch in a cool shed for a few days with some eggs as she was putting the other hens off laying.  She did not like it and would not sit on the eggs.  I let her out and she started laying again a few days later but the last few days she has spent more and more time in the nest box again!   ::)  I will just have to keep turfing her out until she get the message as I have young quail in the rabbit hutch now.  I am running out of enclosures, coops etc. so my chicks need to grow up fast before the next batch arrive.   :wub:



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