[Asaunders]

I am new to the poultry industry and have around 20 hens of mixed breeds e.g black rocks, welshsummers, and rhode island reds. but i am struggling with eggs due to the hens being constantly broody  at the moment i already have a hen that hatched out 10 welsh summers, but now i seem to have 3 other have that are broody, i wanted to know if anyone new how 2 stop these hens being broody and start laying eggs again.
Any help is grateful.

[too many girls]

try hybrids or ex batts, the broodiness is bread out of them, don't know how to prevent yours going broody except locking them out of the laying area, some people believe in dunking their bums in cold water to reduce the temperature but i couldn't do that to Cassandra or Raquel, they'd be most upset.

[Asaunders]

i have got to do something they are my normal reliable layers aswell and im struggling to get a consistant amount of eggs, any other advice for getting a good amount of eggs?

[Foxy]

I am afraid not much you can do unless catch them really early, and move them into a dog cage or something to prevent them nesting. I have got 3 new broodies since yesterday, they must know something we dont!

[Asaunders]

its a nightmare, even my favourite hen a rhode island red is broody and im guarnteed eggs off her o well another dodo summer off eggs i think for me.

[too many girls]

i can't believe i spelt bred like that

[Ice]

i can't believe i spelt bred like that

You obviously weren't using your loaf at the time.

[Asaunders]

u got any advice ICE?

[Aunt Sally]

Why do you have pure breeds if you want eggs ?  They go broody at the drop of an egg.

Hybrids rarely go broody.

[Asaunders]

i am new to chickens so i just took advice off someone that obviolsy robbed me
what are hybrids?

[joyfull]

Hybrids are simply cross breeds, your blackrock is a hybrid and like mine is broody  , mine however is hatching eggs at this moment whilst I type this, so far I have seen 4 babies. Two of mine have gone broody this year but both have acted as surrogates. To stand a better chance of not going broody you would be better off getting the type of hens that egg companies use. Grannie annie may be able to help you with what breeds. However they will only lay for 2 - 3 years whereas hybrids will lay fewer eggs per year but keep laying for longer (barring going broody of course). Some people dunk, others just keep shutting them out of the nesting boxes and others keep them outside in cages to help get their temperature. you could even just leave them and they should get over it after 3-4 weeks.

[Asaunders]

thanks for the advice, my black rock hatched 6 last year they was fanastic, but now shes at it again as is a rhode island red but i dont want them to be as i already have a hen that has hatched out 10 chicks i am more interested in eggs, so am i wastin my time with the breeds of hens i have at the minute?? and how do i contact grannie annie??
thanks for the advice.

[too many girls]

what are you going to do with your hens if you decide to replace them with hybrids?
if it's just the eggs your after you should have done a bit more research into the different breeds ect, oh well, too late now, i have 2 silkies that spend the majority of their time sitting on fresh air, i just leave them to it, if i take their eggs they just go off and sit on someone elses

[joyfull]

If you look at the top of the page just below the header there is a bit that says poultry pages, click on that and you should see grannie annies chook blog, go onto that and you will see her contact details on that. I don't think you are wasting your time with your hens its just unfortunate that they have gone broody - some people are desperate for that to happen   - yours will lay for a longer period and are nice breeds what will keep on laying long after the true hybrids.

[Asaunders]

i work and play alot of golf and the members at the golf course go mental for my eggs i could sell loads but my wife wont let me have too many hens, i have around 20-30 but want as many eggs possible, carnt i keep the pure breeds i have got and get eggs?