[Shazzer]

One of my chooks has been in the nest box, on her egg since she laid it today and is still there tonight, when she would normally be on the perch. Is this going broody? and if so should i get her to get out tommorow and take the egg.

[muntjac]

yes take her off  now in the dark and put her on the perch remove the eggs

[richyrich7]

Sounds like it, if she's being protective over the nest then yes.

Their various things you can do, but I've no experience of it so wait for some one who does to reply.

[richyrich7]

There you see, told ya someone would know  

[Shazzer]

oh ok I'll move her now, is she gonna get annoyed

[Selkie]

i'm REALLY new to keeping hens and am sure someone more experienced will have better advice but i'm online so i thought i'd say ''hello''

i'd say she is broody and  it's better to get her off the egg -- one of my two went broody and it took WEEKS before she finally snapped out of it.

does your one fluff up her feathers when you go near her? that's what dora used to do, she developed a different personality too -- very aggressive and didn't like us at all. she also plucked off the feathers from her breast (though you couldn't see it til you picked her up) -- i think that's to help keep her eggs warm?

dora stopped laying eggs (she still isn't laying as now herself and daisy are moulting like there's no tomorrow :cry: ) but at least she's a nicer, friendlier hen now she isn't broody anymore.

[Aunt Sally]

Excellent description of a broody Rosemary  

[Shazzer]

Well i got her out but she went back in, I took the egg out. will she go back to the perch when she realises shes not sat on an egg.

[muntjac]

dont worry  in the morrows stick her butt in cooled water this side of cold ,this will throw her off ,, werks for me with chickens ,, bit harder with women    

[Aunt Sally]

Well i got her out but she went back in, I took the egg out. will she go back to the perch when she realises shes not sat on an egg.

No probably not.  If shees broody she will try to sit even if there are no eggs.  There are quite a number of methods to break a broody.  I've tried them all - and none worked  :roll:

[Shazzer]

no shes not gone aggresssive, I don't think shes been plucking out her feathers either, in fact she didn't make much fuss when i moved her. So what will happen next will she want to stay on every egg she lays now for 2 weeks or something

[Shazzer]

I'll try that cool water trick on me hubby

[Aunt Sally]

Few methods here:

http://feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKBroody.html

[Selkie]

we just let dora come out of it on her own, i couldn't bring myself to dunk her in water :roll: -- i'm too much of a softie , and she did eventually come out of it -- but it has taken WEEKS and WEEKS.

we had to shut their house up in the daytime because if we left it open dora would zoom in and just sit there all day and wouldn't eat or drink. she still sat alot of the time when she was out in the run but i think it was better for her than being in the house.

it was funny though - we used have to let daisy in the house to lay her egg and then when dora would see us opening the little door she would sprint to try and get in too (we have a greyhound but i'd say dora was even faster than he is!)

don't forget to keep us updated

[Shazzer]

Thanks for the link Aunt, a suggestion on there was to put some ice cubes in a plastic bag under her.  that seems fairly simple