georgie123
In the Brooder
- Jul 14, 2020
- 15
- 11
- 21
Hello,
I've got six hens, two are almost at point of lay and the other four had been consistently laying for over a year. As of last September my first hen went broody and she sat for over a month, since that time I've always had at least two hens brooding and up to 3 brooding at a time, resulting in hardly any eggs for over six months. I've tried moving them to brooding boxes, constantly removing from nesting boxes, dipping them in water, moved their coop and run to anew position, tried surrogacy (the pullets nearly at point of lay, they were rejected and are finally almost integrated into the flock, however it seems the pecking order needs to be re-established every time a hen snaps out of broodiness).
One of the hens that has been broody the most times will not leave the nesting box for food and water while brooding so she has to be removed a couple of times a day. It's created all sorts of problems from a terrible infestation of red poultry mites on our property that got into our house, leg mites, eggs being laid in the yard as the broody hens become aggressive and won't let flock mates into lay, attracting predators (goanna's & snakes) and feather pecking.
I have no idea what to do to end this cycle of broodiness as soon as a position opens up in the coop it's immediately taken by another.
Anybody have any ideas how to stop contagious brooding? I have four Bantam Pekins, 1 Pekin x Wyandotte & 1 Pekin x Plymouth Rock
I've got six hens, two are almost at point of lay and the other four had been consistently laying for over a year. As of last September my first hen went broody and she sat for over a month, since that time I've always had at least two hens brooding and up to 3 brooding at a time, resulting in hardly any eggs for over six months. I've tried moving them to brooding boxes, constantly removing from nesting boxes, dipping them in water, moved their coop and run to anew position, tried surrogacy (the pullets nearly at point of lay, they were rejected and are finally almost integrated into the flock, however it seems the pecking order needs to be re-established every time a hen snaps out of broodiness).
One of the hens that has been broody the most times will not leave the nesting box for food and water while brooding so she has to be removed a couple of times a day. It's created all sorts of problems from a terrible infestation of red poultry mites on our property that got into our house, leg mites, eggs being laid in the yard as the broody hens become aggressive and won't let flock mates into lay, attracting predators (goanna's & snakes) and feather pecking.
I have no idea what to do to end this cycle of broodiness as soon as a position opens up in the coop it's immediately taken by another.
Anybody have any ideas how to stop contagious brooding? I have four Bantam Pekins, 1 Pekin x Wyandotte & 1 Pekin x Plymouth Rock