Once a broody, always a broody?

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SMS6

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Once a broody, always a broody?
« on: April 25, 2012, 14:54 »
I have a hen who is just coming up to a year old (hatched May 7th 2011 so I was told)

She only came in to lay in January but soon became a regular layer.  Then she went broody - sat on nothing for hours on end, always sat on the other eggs when they were layed  that sort of thing, we tried all the tricks I could read about on here - took about 2 weeks to get over and start laying again. 

Now exactly 21 eggs later she's at it again!!!   Is this likely to be her established pattern?  I can see her being a very frustrating hen.   :D


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grinling

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2012, 15:00 »
Poppy always did... I wish she would lay again so I could get some eggs off her and under her, but it has been a year since her last.

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PaulineM

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2012, 18:25 »
She will probably go broody every time she has laid enough eggs that would add up to a batch eg. every 16 - 20 eggs laid  :( I know one of mine does  :nowink: She has already had 3 broody spells this year and is probably due for another one soon   ::)
Although I read somewhere that they are usually worst when they are 2yrs old.
So hopefully mine might not be sooo bad next year!
1 Hubby, 2 children, 2 Welsummers, 1 Leghorn Banty, 1 Wyandotte Banty, 1 Barnevelder, 2 Isa Brown, 1 Rhode Island, 1 Goldline,1 Maran, 2 Mottled Leghorns, 1 Leghorn cockerel & 2 Jack Russells

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viettaclark

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2012, 01:24 »
That's really interesting Pauline. My Speckledie is just 15 months (born Jan/Feb) and has been broody 3 times since last May when I got her.
Looking back in my diary she laid her first egg in August (quite late), went broody 4 weeks later for 5 weeks, laid an occasional egg (moulting) for 5 weeks then went broody for 5 weeks, laid erratically for 6 weeks and is currently broody again (3 weeks so far).
Never noticed the fact that she has been laying a clutch every time. Wish I'd recorded how many eggs she actually laid in between broods.......
I do know she was manically pumping out the eggs every day just after the first signs of broodiness then went into full blown and stopped laying.
Fascinating!
Wish she'd stop it though!

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PaulineM

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2012, 11:16 »
Vietta
My broody would sit for 9 weeks and nothing I tried and I tried everything would break it.  This year however as a last resort I put her in an upturned pet carrier (plastic one with the wire door in the lid, widely spaced wire) she really doesn't like this, the wire is more open than the anti-broody one I was using, the broodiness is usually over in less than a week.  :)

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SMS6

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2012, 11:43 »
I don't suppose allowing her to hatch one lot would make any difference then?

I'm tempted to get some bantam eggs for next time as I would like to add a couple of bantams to my little flock but not sure about it yet.

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PaulineM

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2012, 12:04 »
I let my broody hatch 1 batch and although it was better than her sitting on no eggs for 9 weeks, it still didn't make a difference to her broody temperament.
Remember if she hatched some usually half will be cockerels  :(
I was lucky only 1 hatched and it was a Welsummer hen  :)

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SMS6

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Re: Once a broody, always a broody?
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2012, 15:17 »
I let my broody hatch 1 batch and although it was better than her sitting on no eggs for 9 weeks, it still didn't make a difference to her broody temperament.
Remember if she hatched some usually half will be cockerels  :(
I was lucky only 1 hatched and it was a Welsummer hen  :)

yes I realise we can't guarantee girls and we'd have to do something with any boys, that's why I'm not rushing to do it.  Plus we only have one henhouse and run so that would need sorting out too first. 

Couldn't have put anything under her this time anyway because they are off to the Chicken Hotel in a couple of weeks while we go to a family wedding and take a few days off.


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