[Neelam]

Sorry first of all, I am sure this topic has been here many times but my laptop is a bit blown up and it is very difficult to get anywhere, looooong loading times etc. and as I need advise asap it was easiere now just to start the topic again

My youngster has gone broody, just two weeks after she actually has started laying. She is a White Sussex so funnily one of my reasons to get started with Sussex has been as they were said the once going the less broody... 

However, I am honestly a bit unsure. Being broody is natural and her one egg less isn't such a loss. There are 3 more nest boxes, but they are all in the same part of the coop and not separated visually as the "silly" girls kept squeezing themselves in this one so I removed the separating parts. Will she allow the others around for laying???

I managed to get out two of estimated 3 eggs underneath her when the other five started getting settled down for roosting time (I didn't want to leave them as I imagine that a non fertilized egg might become smelly after 21 days of good loving heat?)

And if I would want her to hatch fertile eggs, how much time do I get by her still remaining broody (usually) to get those fertile hatching eggs and HOW do I get them underneath the hen? The same way as I got the others out? Do these eggs need some preparation before being put underneath?

Sorry, so many question. But to broodyness I am absolutely new, got my first three hens only 2.5 months ago and just last weekend the next three. I admit, they ARE adictive and I already got the chickenitis thing. Amazing!   

Thank you very, very much!
Neelam

[grinling]

decide on what breed you would like to hatch and see if eggs are available (preloved,ebay,local).
How would you deal with cockerel chicks as they are harder to pass on, even when free.
I would separate the broody from the others into a different house/run area.
Let the eggs rest before swapping the eggs over.
You will need to get the broody off the eggs to eat drink and poop twice a day....poop very smelly.

[Sassy]

In an ideal world now is not the best time to allow a hatch of chicks. It is too cold and research has shown you get weaker birds. It is not impossible however. Might you be better waiting until spring?

[Asherweef]

Buy one of the rubber eggs?

[Neelam]

I've ordered rubber eggs, should arrive tomorrow.
So far at least I can tell she's eating as I had the huge dropping in the yard but she waited until I have left home before she would come out... So let's see how I get the rubber eggs in. Probably at dawn putting them underneath her breast like I've got yesterday's eggs out.

[Sassy]

You would do better to stop her being broody rather than encourage it. It takes a lot out of them. Also it would be unusual for a hen to sit on a rubber egg, they usually chuck dud eggs out of the nest.

[Neelam]

Hm, she kept the rubber egg for one day...
She collects all other eggs laid around her. So is such a broody cage the only way to break them?

Thanks again fir your advise!

[grinling]

you can keep removing from nest box until the others have laid, then shut the pop hole. some dunk the underneath in cool water...maybe not the best weather at the mo.
We have a guineapig house which is wood sides with slant roof, but weld mesh underneath. this is large enough for our bantam and hold food and water as well. Place on bricks and she wants to quit it in 2 days.
She goes broody often and has 2 chicks she hatched...unluckily 1 will probably be culled when it crows...

[joyfull]

I simply remove any eggs daily, they usually snap out of it between 2-3 weeks 

[Neelam]

   I keep collecting. I couldn't do it, putting her on "ice" to cool her down. She is now broody for one week and so far, to me, she looks in good condition. Waddle and comb are still red and she eats, drinks, forages and poos once a day right after she has laid her egg which usually happens between 9.30 and 10.30am. She will come out of the coop like a white rocket, being a lot more noisy than usual telling everyone about her egg and first thing she does every morning (ever since gone broody) is to jump into the sand of my kids sand pit.

One hen is always laying her egg next to her so that one I can only collect the next day or have to wait till dawn pulling it out underneath her breast, the other has decided to use the second nestbox. Only at night it seems that the five non-broody hens sleep together in the smaller part of the coop while she is having the bigger one all on her own (have two coops attached to each other) as there is just no dropping to be found anymore.

As usually I am at home at the time she jumps out of her coop I collect, what is in the nest and bring her special treats like mealworms, yoghurt, porridge... to give her a bit of extra proteine.