[Carshay]

How long are hens broody for? Mine has been broody for about three weeks although I get her off the nest four or five times a day and regularly remove the eggs. I haven't got anywhere to put her so she'll be uncomfortable so wonder how long this will go on. I'm tempted to get some fertile eggs for her but a bit afraid of how to look after chicks and again how to keep them away from the others. Any advice appreciated, thanks

[evie2]

Can you lock her out the coop after she lays?

[brownysfp]

We've a Coucou de France settled on 22 eggs! Apart from her own she's been rolling others into her nest. She's determined to stay put,  unfazed by contact with us, and defensive of her position when other hens come into the coop to lay. We've had to set up new boxes elsewhere.
Not too sure how it'll work out, the incubator's full, but the brooder's ready for action.

[Casey76]

Well what ever happens a hen will never be able to keep all 22 warm.  Take 11 away, and mark the remaining ones so you can remove any "additions"

Ideally the broody hen should be moved to a coop and run to herself, otherwise it can get complicated, a) when others want to lay, and b) it's possible that the other hens may kill any newly hatched chicks if mum is still sitting on some.

Is she a Coucou de Rennes?  Lovely big birds

[Carshay]

Noticed this morning when I lifted her out of the nest box that right underneath her where she sits on the eggs she is completely bald and oven ready! Is this normal or is she moulting as well?

[Lindeggs]

Noticed this morning when I lifted her out of the nest box that right underneath her where she sits on the eggs she is completely bald and oven ready! Is this normal or is she moulting as well?

Apparently it's normal for a broody hen to have a naked tummy - it allows her to keep the eggs nice and toasty warm.   

[Casey76]

Noticed this morning when I lifted her out of the nest box that right underneath her where she sits on the eggs she is completely bald and oven ready! Is this normal or is she moulting as well?

This is perfectly normal. The broody hen plucks out the feathers from her abdomen to allow better head distribution to the eggs

[lukasmum]

I've had exactly the same problem with my little partridge brahma bantam - after moving her off everybodies eggs for nearly 3 weeks, I relented and she's now sitting on 6 pekin eggs

I have a large coop, the nest boxes are underneath a raised dropping board, so I have put a little temporary fence around her to stop other eggs being deposited. She seems quite happy, and isn't too bothered when I lift her out for her poo / feed /dustbath session!
Hubbies BIG question of course is 'what are you going to do the next time one goes broody?'

Any suggestions which don't include hatching eggs would be most welcome.
Dearest darling hubby doesn't share my love of chooks...poor boy, missing out on such joy...

[Pettrish]

Hi , i've got a broody silver sussex at the mo, but i've had several broody's in the past. I've never sat then on fertile eggs because i haven't got the room for any more chooks, so what i do is pop them in to metal dog crate. Sit the crate up off the coop/aviary/pen floor with a brick at each corner and pop your broody in. Obviously put food and water in with her too, make sure she's not in a draft or in direct sunlight and leave her to get on with it! She'll probably make a racket for a while because all she'll want to do is get out and get to the nest, but she'll soon settle down. I usually leave my broody in the crate until all my other girls have finished laying for the day,then i shut the coop so she can't get to a nest box, and then let the broody out for a stretch and a grass feed. then just before shutting up for the night i put her back in the crate inside the coop and leave her there for the night, and repeat the same thing for the next day etc until she is through her broody period. This usually cuts the broody phase down from 3 weeks plus to just over a week(apart from my rat baggy silver sussex at the moment!!!!!). Sounds a bit cruel but it's much easier on the chook than leaving them to sit on eggs that are never going to hatch, and if the broody period goes on for too long they lose so much condition because they don't eat properly they can actually starve to death! Hope this helps 

[brownysfp]

Take 11 away, and mark the remaining ones so you can remove any "additions"
Ideally the broody hen should be moved to a coop and run to herself, otherwise it can get complicated...
Is she a Coucou de Rennes?  Lovely big birds

Another Coucou went broody in the week so I've shared the eggs between them; they seem content.
I'm making another coop and run for the other hens which should be ready before hatching time. For the moment the other hens have moved their activities onto a bale of hay in the woodshed.

Marked in the market as Coucou de France but yes, good-sized birds with a nice disposition.