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Broodiness....so many questions???

post #1 of 3
1/1/12 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 

I have 3 girls: 1 rir, 1 buff orp, and 1 black australorp.
What do i do if one becomes broody? How will i know? How can i get them to stop being broody? What if i want to hatch an egg but they're all infertile what do i do? Why do they become broody?
Sorry for overloading. i just need aLOT of answers. Thanks!

If you were plowing a field, which one would you use? Two strong oxen or 1,000 chickens??
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If you were plowing a field, which one would you use? Two strong oxen or 1,000 chickens??
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post #2 of 3
1/1/12 at 3:33pm

Good questions! If one of your hens becomes broody and you do not have any fertile eggs for her to lay on then you can try to break her behavior. A good link for advice on how to break a hen of her broodyness.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=181289

I don't think that any of the breeds you have are particularly prone to becoming broody, especially without a rooster around.

Broody hens seldom leave the nest box and become rather tempermetal when you are trying to remove eggs at the end of the day.

Eat more cow , save the chickens!
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Eat more cow , save the chickens!
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post #3 of 3
1/1/12 at 3:41pm
  • gryeyes
  • Platinum Poultry
  • Covered in Pet Hair & Feathers

Your BO and BA (buff orp and black australorp) have the genetics to possibly become broody.  You really cannot miss it if a hen goes broody, as she stays in the nest all the time instead of roosting at night.  She only gets up once, maybe twice a day to go potty, eat and drink before she goes back to the nest.  She will make a distinctive warning sound when you go to gather eggs from the nest (where she's setting).  She doesn't need a rooster to go broody, but she doesn't know that.  She'll flatten herself out in the nest over the eggs but puff way up in warning when you reach inside the nest.  She may even peck you.

I am not a proponent of "breaking broodies," so just follow that link already posted to learn how to do that. 

I'd get her some eggs if I didn't have a rooster to fertilize eggs.  But that's just me.

They become broody due to hormones telling them they wanna be mommas.

-- Linda (AKA: gryeyes)
I refuse to fight a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Buncha Outdoor PET chickens, ducks, two Toulouse ganders, and four turkeys. Plus 2 wiener dogs, some bunnies and a rescue cat which owns me. Oh. And a house silkie....

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-- Linda (AKA: gryeyes)
I refuse to fight a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Buncha Outdoor PET chickens, ducks, two Toulouse ganders, and four turkeys. Plus 2 wiener dogs, some bunnies and a rescue cat which owns me. Oh. And a house silkie....

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