Bad timing Broody

[darkmatter]

We're already past the average date for first frost and this stupid broody decided she wanted to hatch. We kept taking the eggs for a couple weeks, then just let her keep 9 or so that I slipped under her from a days production due to her insistence to stay in the nest and growl at me every time I collected eggs. Good luck stupid, there will be no fresh sprouts or bugs for your chicks.

 

[Judy]

My first broody hatched hers in October or November. Granted, this is not Alaska, but it goes below freezing plenty of nights, and chicken water freezes, as do pipes. They did fine.

Beautiful pic!

 

[abqferreira]

We discovered that one of our Banties was all fluffed up and chirping at us in the box yesterday. What is she thinking?! So how long can I wait to decide whether to buy eggs to put under her? Last time her friend did this, we put eggs under her within 2-3 days. Will she still be broody in a week or two andready to accept eggs then? Not sure I want to put babies out there in October...

 

[pgpoultry]

My pemabroody Brahma has just gone broody again (4th time in 15 months) and, as I have not managed to 'break' her, I have bought some allegedly fertile eggs for her.
She is outside by our oil tank and refuses to move now (she brooded her in the summer). Trouble is, there was quite a heavy frost last night , but she is still staying put.
I don't have a spare brood pen and the barn is being re-built and has no floor as yet, so no indoor area for her.
I am very worried about her, she's a great hen.

Sandie

 

[dragonjaze]

Quote:
Maybe give her a box for protection?

 

[darkmatter]

Here's the update on the bad timing broody:

 

[Dora'smom]

Adorable pictures. Our first-time broody hatched her two chicks out (we only had two eggs left of the original four due to predation) on September 27 and they are doing just fine. I have already made my mind up, that if anyone else (or Petunia again) decides to go broody over the winter, I will try to find them eggs to sit on. I think that as long as you can shelter them in some way, it most likely will be okay. We have a lot of birds, so I'm not sweating the loss of the eggs from a broody, it's just a little inconvenience.

 

[pgpoultry]

The frosts are coming most nights now,and Goldie Hen is in a cardboard box with straw in the bottom and groundsheets pinned in place to keep the rain off her.
When I moved her to give her real eggs, the rubber eggs felt surprisingly toasty and she had formed a nice nest from the straw and had lined it with her breast feathers.
I plan to move her into our new barn once the floor is down next week (carrying her plus eggs in the cardboard box after nightfall).

I thought the worst would happen yesterday when hubby informs me that "Shift the hen, we have an oil delivery coming and he cannot get to the tank". I undid the sheep hurdles and covered the entrance to the ' broody box' with an old blanket. the delivery guy was great and Goldie neither batted an eyelid nor moved a muscle.

The delivery pipe in the tank and the old cream blanket over the entrance to the 'broody box'. Just shows the commitment of the broody hen.

 

[darkmatter]

Bad timing Broody update: She lost all seven babies one at a time, the last one disappeared this past week. I've found no remains, so I suspect that hawk hanging around may have been responsible. She would have all the chicks in the morning and come evening when shutting them up there would be less------Damifino, it's been warmer then normal and she had been keeping them warm, so it wasn't the weather killing them. If it was a predator, then it's one that doesn't harm the adults.

 

[pgpoultry]

My poor girl lost her eggs to a rainstorm, several developed but all died in the shell in the later stages.
Fortunately Goldie Hen was immediately back to her usual self when I returned her to the mob. I left the sheep hurdles in place to make sure she did not return to her empty nest, but she seemed to know that her work was done and hasn't gone back there at all.