broody hen

Re: broody hen

Tanya Fielding — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:53:16 GMT

I believe taking her off the eggs and locking her out of the nest box will work. My dog pinches the eggs when the hen comes out for feed that works well, but the devious hens then find a more cunning hiding place. I advise thick gloves if you are going to move her. I,ve also found moving them to a more appropriate place to go broody as described in books usually takes them off the brood.

Re: broody hen

mariette asselbergs — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:49:48 GMT

Why not give her some eggs to hatch and have nice chicken for your BBQ in August?

Mariette

Re: broody hen

Gareth C. — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:03:10 GMT

both!

Re: broody hen

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:22:17 GMT

Depends whether Gareth is keeping hens because he likes fresh free-range breakfast eggs, or whether these are also pets and have names-I suspect the latter

Wynne

Re: broody hen

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:46:19 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

Give har a clutch of china eggs-I don't know where you can buy them nowadays, but when most farms had a small flock of chickens it was the remedy-after around 3 weeks she'll decide they won't hatch and willgive up and start laying again-theory that it's more naturalbehaviour than sitting on nothing, so will come toa natural end

Wynne

[/quote]

Any decent agricultural merchant should be able to supply them. Plastic ones on ebay

I stand by my premise that it will happen again and better to replace her.

Re: broody hen

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:40:38 GMT

Wynne

Re: broody hen

Gareth C. — Sun, 29 May 2011 21:38:20 GMT

thanks for all those tips everyone. she did it last year too and did eventually get over it. by the way she's a sussex. we have another sussex who doesnt seem to do it, but I think that one thinks she's a cockeral...

Re: broody hen

Marie Kubiak — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:44:40 GMT

It's that time of year!

I would avoid anything medical as most options are mammalian hormone analogues which are not a desirable additive to future eggs!

Try and disrupt her behaviour a bit more primitively - during the day turf her outside or into a separate enclosure so she has no access to a nest box for this period, and get eggs laid by the others out as quickly as possible. Alternatively just wait it out, most will get back to normal in a week or two. Hopefully its a one off but some individuals and breeds (especially bantams/sussex) appear hard-wired to be broody and have repeat episodes.

Marie

Re: broody hen

Mark Holmes — Sun, 29 May 2011 15:50:48 GMT

Not drugs but take her off the nest and keep her in a wire floored box for a week or two so she cannot properly sit. You should notice her comb brighten up as she comes back into lay.

Re: broody hen

Tim Cheyne — Sun, 29 May 2011 07:28:42 GMT

Ooops! I first read the second letter in the subject as 'L' not 'R' but perhaps it is appropriate.

Tim.

Re: broody hen

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 28 May 2011 23:05:38 GMT

What breed? If it's a silky kill it now! Take it away and it should get over it. If it persists and she keeps doing it I have a zero tollarance policy and kill them. We only have room for a few I'm not keeping broody (non laying) mouths.

Re: broody hen

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:34:39 GMT

Put her out in a broody pen.

(She can go cold turkey )

Re: broody hen

Robert Whiteford — Sat, 28 May 2011 18:53:31 GMT

Some wee chicks to look after?

Or more nest boxes?