non-broody fowl keepers

[fluffycrow]

Yup! They drag in the wet!

Ah yes, ducks

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

All I've got to say is be careful what you wish for!

I have three Cochin bantam hens who will likely go broody within the next month and will stay broody until August or September despite every effort I make to break them. Every year they do this, like clockwork. Another Cochin bantam is already brooding and due to hatch eggs in about a week, after which she'll hopefully go back to laying soon as she's a breeder hen that I need to lay eggs for hatching to happen in the first place!

My Silkie mixes have begun their annual broody shenanigans. Acting broody, sitting in the boxes all day, grumping and arguing with everyone, shrieking at me when I notice them in there... and then laying an egg in the broody buster once moved. Pretty soon the other Cochin bantams and my last pure Silkie hen will be on to these shenanigans as well!

One of my Marans has already gone broody and been busted, after 'lying' to me repeatedly about her broody status for a week and a half, fooling me into letting her loose every couple days. Gwenyth, my naked neck bantam who just turned a year old, is still laying but has been running around clucking rather broodily through the rest of the day, too. And Perdi, the twisty-legged Dorking who clumsily crushes eggs any time she tries to get in a nest box with any in it, wants to brood now, too! How am I supposed to trust her with chicks when she can't even help but crush eggs?!

Honestly, much as I'd rather raise the chicks myself--it's actually one of my favorite parts of chicken keeping--I'm more than happy to let a few of the girls brood this year because of the number of eggs I'd like to hatch and the limited capacity of my incubators. But there's only so many eggs to go around, and I've still got to figure out where to even put broodies and their chicks while they're brooding them to be safe from nest box drama and other hens in the big mixed flock. And I certainly don't need a half dozen or more of them to be brooding all at once as they assuredly will be in the coming weeks if history is any indication! If I could send y'all some of this broody madness and get it out of my flock without having to sacrifice some of my (otherwise) beloved hens for it, I most assuredly would!

 

[fluffycrow]

All I've got to say is be careful what you wish for!

I have three Cochin bantam hens who will likely go broody within the next month and will stay broody until August or September despite every effort I make to break them. Every year they do this, like clockwork. Another Cochin bantam is already brooding and due to hatch eggs in about a week, after which she'll hopefully go back to laying soon as she's a breeder hen that I need to lay eggs for hatching to happen in the first place!

My Silkie mixes have begun their annual broody shenanigans. Acting broody, sitting in the boxes all day, grumping and arguing with everyone, shrieking at me when I notice them in there... and then laying an egg in the broody buster once moved. Pretty soon the other Cochin bantams and my last pure Silkie hen will be on to these shenanigans as well!

One of my Marans has already gone broody and been busted, after 'lying' to me repeatedly about her broody status for a week and a half, fooling me into letting her loose every couple days. Gwenyth, my naked neck bantam who just turned a year old, is still laying but has been running around clucking rather broodily through the rest of the day, too. And Perdi, the twisty-legged Dorking who clumsily crushes eggs any time she tries to get in a nest box with any in it, wants to brood now, too! How am I supposed to trust her with chicks when she can't even help but crush eggs?!

Honestly, much as I'd rather raise the chicks myself--it's actually one of my favorite parts of chicken keeping--I'm more than happy to let a few of the girls brood this year because of the number of eggs I'd like to hatch and the limited capacity of my incubators. But there's only so many eggs to go around, and I've still got to figure out where to even put broodies and their chicks while they're brooding them to be safe from nest box drama and other hens in the big mixed flock. And I certainly don't need a half dozen or more of them to be brooding all at once as they assuredly will be in the coming weeks if history is any indication! If I could send y'all some of this broody madness and get it out of my flock without having to sacrifice some of my (otherwise) beloved hens for it, I most assuredly would!

Honestly, at this point I'd accept all this crazy. Yes, after an 11 year broody drought I'm very much desperate

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, as I have a few broodies every year - I should not be posting. But I am praying Mrs. Feathers gets the urge. I am keeping Snowman on borrowed time. He is getting so dang aggressive.

I may just apply the broomstick, and if she goes broody - buy some day old chicks.

Mrs K

 

[fluffycrow]

Well, as I have a few broodies every year - I should not be posting. But I am praying Mrs. Feathers gets the urge. I am keeping Snowman on borrowed time. He is getting so dang aggressive.

I may just apply the broomstick, and if she goes broody - buy some day old chicks.

Mrs K

No need to stop posting, if you'd like to stay! You can hang around and joke with us, most of us are joking at our streak of bad luck

 

[fluffycrow]

Guess who doesn't have a broody yet : )))))

 

[BelovedBirds]

Guess who doesn't have a broody yet : )))))

 

[fluffycrow]

 

[Canadian Wind]

One of my cochin banties might be getting there. See her sit a couple of times, then out again later. Leaving eggs in there for her just in case.

Then again, we may be selling her in a couple of weeks...

 

[fluffycrow]

One of my cochin banties might be getting there. See her sit a couple of times, then out again later. Leaving eggs in there for her just in case.



Then again, we may be selling her in a couple of weeks...



Keep the poor baby! Long enough for her to hatch something that is...