Bantam hen has gone broody

[sherymaree]

She is laying her eggs under a tree in some ferns. I thought she was gone except she would show up to eat a couple times a day. She will not let me near the eggs to take them away. She has been outside in the rain and cold. I live in central Florida so it isn't that cold. She has not been staying in the coop at all. Any advice on what I should do.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

She is laying her eggs under a tree in some ferns. I thought she was gone except she would show up to eat a couple times a day. She will not let me near the eggs to take them away. She has been outside in the rain and cold. I live in central Florida so it isn't that cold. She has not been staying in the coop at all. Any advice on what I should do.

Do you want her to hatch eggs? Is it even possible the eggs are fertile (meaning, do you have a roo or is it possible any roos have access to your yard)?
If you want to let her continue to brood, I would suggest finding a way to secure her location so she is kept safe from predators as a broody hen on a nest outside is an easy target.
If you don't wish to have chicks and/or there is no chance the eggs are fertile, it will be best for her to take her off the nest, put her in a broody buster and dispose of the eggs.

 

[sherymaree]

There is no chance that the eggs are fertile. what is a buster?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As there is no chance of her efforts having any positive outcome, it is in her best interest (from a health and a safety perspective) to get her over her broody state sooner rather than later so that she can return to normal eating/drinking/activity levels and will, once again, be using the coop for security.
A "broody buster" is simply a wire cage/dog kennel/etc that is used to get a broody hen to "snap out of it". The cage is placed in an elevated position (ie on cinder blocks) so that air flows up under neat it. There is no bedding used and the hen is confined in the cage for 2-3 days with food and water. The inability to "nest down" and the cooling effect of the air flow reaching her underside at all times will "break" her broodiness so that she returns to life as a non-broody hen.
Setting a clutch of eggs is very taxing to a hen - they stay on the nest 23+ hours a day eating and drinking little and holding waste for extended periods of time - leaving the nest only a couple of times per day to eliminate and grab a little food/water. This takes a toll on their body and when it is all going to be for naught since the eggs have no chance of hatching there is no sense in allowing that to happen.

 

[sherymaree]

There is no way the eggs are fertile. Not sure what a broody buster is. She will not let me near the eggs. I guess I have to get brave and just take them.

 

[sherymaree]

Thank you so much. I am going to take the eggs away now and put her in the coop. Tomorrow I will figure out a way to make a broody buster.

 

[donrae]

Or, if you want her to raise chicks for you, let her set on them for approx 21 days total, then at night slip some day old chicks under her and remove the eggs. Not that I'm an enabler or anything.....

 

[Danielchicken]

Mine just laid her first egg today