Hi all! I have a little D'Uccle that went broody about 3 weeks ago. I have already hatched hicks this spring, so no new chicks are needed right now. As such, I have been keeping eggs out from under her.
To complicate matters, I was having an issue with egg eating, and put ceramic eggs into the nest boxes so that the peckers would wear themselves out pecking fake eggs. This seems to have worked, as I have not lost any eggs for about 2 weeks. However...
My broody hen has now taken to laying on the fake eggs. I don't really ind her being broody, but it's just so hot in the coop these days, I know she'd be happier out in the yard, eating grass and drinking water. I feel like she's hanging on until the eggs hatch.
I have broken broodies before, and I always just collected the eggs out from under them until they eventually gave up. Now that the ceramic eggs are in the nests, I feel like my broody has no reason to give up. Will she stay broody as long as I keep the ceramic eggs in there? Should I take them out until she gives up?
To complicate matters, I was having an issue with egg eating, and put ceramic eggs into the nest boxes so that the peckers would wear themselves out pecking fake eggs. This seems to have worked, as I have not lost any eggs for about 2 weeks. However...
My broody hen has now taken to laying on the fake eggs. I don't really ind her being broody, but it's just so hot in the coop these days, I know she'd be happier out in the yard, eating grass and drinking water. I feel like she's hanging on until the eggs hatch.
I have broken broodies before, and I always just collected the eggs out from under them until they eventually gave up. Now that the ceramic eggs are in the nests, I feel like my broody has no reason to give up. Will she stay broody as long as I keep the ceramic eggs in there? Should I take them out until she gives up?
