it's mid Oct and my Favorole has been broody for 2 weeks

lady birds

In the Brooder
5 Years
Mar 16, 2014
19
0
22
My broody Hen has no eggs under her and has not laid one in over a week and sadly has not allowed the other hens in ANY of the nest boxes while she puffs up and shrieks at them (& me when I lift her out a few times a day) there is no rooster and she way laying just fine prior to this episode. All my hens 7-1/2 months old. It Had been warm in San Diego area and it was my morans and Amerucanas that had taken a break from laying, Now that it cooled off, I was hoping for eggs... how can I get these 6 gals back on the job
 
You generally have to "break" broodies, especially those of a broody breed since they can go on about indefinitely, just taking her off the nest a few times is not enough discouragement. Not sure if you have seen it but there is a nice article in the Learning Center that has some tips for discouraging them, https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens I like to use the wire cage method mentioned, usually a wire dog crate, I like to put roosts in because the wire is usually spaced wide enough that they can't stand/sit on it comfortably (most dog crates seem to be around 1x4" spacing). and keep the crate in the middle of the coop/barn isle where thing are really busy, you want the hen to be bothered. For food and water I like to use small bowls I hang from the sides since some hens will sit in bowls on the floor.
With the other hens, are you sure they aren't hiding eggs somewhere if they couldn't get into the nest boxes and were laying before? If they just started laying (Marans/Ameraucana can be pretty late starters) they can be pretty sporadic to start with.
 
I HAVE read a lot and tried a lot of "other ways" but now my instinct tells me I have been giving way too many treats / scratch & freeze dried worms and maybe they just are not getting enough layer food and that is why I have not received one egg in weeks! I still have "Ms broody" in dog crate TIME OUT. So I will see if a week of NO TREATS- so they go back to layer food as main food will do the trick. any other ideas... I am trying to learn it all. Is it also possible that I give too much greens. they love BASIL and were getting lots of the fresh stuff.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom