First time broody.

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First time broody.

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Loopy Lou

Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 263
Location: Northamptonshire

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 5:12 pm Post subject: First time broody.

One of my chickens has gone broody. There is no male so no chicks, and at the moment I don't have the room to have more so am not getting fertile eggs for her to sit on.

Do I let nature take it's course and wait for her to become unbroody (don't know how to phrase it!) or should I do something?

She is only eating and drinking if I lift her of the nest and shut her in the run with the others. She seems quite content to just sit - on nothing!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 5:20 pm Post subject:

It depends whether you want any eggs from her. If the eggs aren't important, then you can let her do as she pleases - but it may take a few weeks before she snaps out of it and starts laying again.
If you want her to get back to normal, just keep chucking her off and locking her out of the nest box. She will get the hint eventually. Some people put them in a cage with just a wire bottom so that it eventually sinks in that there is no nest and no eggs there, but a bit of persistence on your part will get the message through eventually.

pink bouncy

Joined: 14 May 2005
Posts: 174

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 5:22 pm Post subject:

Isn't nature fantastic? I've known a few hens that have incubated wood shavings.

You can break a broody up by putting her in a wire bottomed cage held off the ground with food and water in it but no bedding at all. The idea is to keep her lower parts cool and not allow her to nest. Keep her in it for a week and then let her out, she probably won't show any interest in sitting again. You can leave her to sit on her nest but she will sit there for weeks on end. I'm lucky, I always have room for a few more....

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 7:25 pm Post subject:

Our Ginger (Buff Sussex) has been broody now for about three weeks, we just leave her to it making sure we take her off the nest in the morning to feed, dring and go to the loo, and also in the evening.

She went broody twice last year and when we get somewhere larger I'll make sure I have a few Buff Sussex around to raise chicks.

Keeping the hen cool is what you are meant to do, like people say. I know Alison suggests popping them into some cold water (make sure they can breath!).

Loopy Lou

Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 263
Location: Northamptonshire

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 8:19 pm Post subject:
Thankyou all for your replies! I am taking her off the nest first thing in the morning, lunchtime and early evening - each time she is happy to eat, drink and scratch around. I think I will see how she does for a few days and if she carries on I will try the cage idea.

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