laurenjoers
In the Brooder
- Aug 10, 2019
- 14
- 14
- 46
Hi all. We have a dark Brahma hen, and Partridge Cochin hen, and a dark Brahma rooster (the rooster has a bad leg so he is ok with them - does not over-mate, etc). They are all about 10 months old and have been laying for a few months, starting in the winter time with less than 14 hours of light in Wisconsin! Every egg I have gotten from them is normal, with the Cochin laying almost 7 a week and the Brahma laying about 5 or 6 a week. Two or so weeks ago, we noticed that our Cochin did not lay for two days, and then she went broody. She has not picked up egg laying yet, but sits on an empty nest as long as she can. I get her outside once a day and she eats and bathes and runs back to the same nesting box after a half hour. At first we were concerned she could have an egg stuck, but her giant broody poops refuted this. She had been doing this for about a week, occasionally sitting on the other hen’s egg before we would take it away, but it didn’t seem to change anything. A few days ago, we noticed our Brahma hen taking up to two hours to lay her egg. We realized she was also going broody, but this was after she had laid her daily egg. We would take it away from her and she had similar behavior to our other hen, but still laid an egg a day. It has now been about 48 hours since we got an egg from her! We are officially getting 0 out of 2 eggs a day. I am planning on breaking their broodiness soon (we just built a new run for them and they aren’t even using it! plus, we want them to be healthy and chicks aren’t an option at the moment. our rooster is also getting lonely 
he sits by them almost all day long). Have they stopped laying because they are broody and just a little too confused to realize they have to sit eggs to hatch them? Have they stopped laying because the temperature is getting warmer and they are both bigger breeds, and it’s a weird coincidence? Are their hormones mingling and effecting one another somehow, as 2 out of 2 broody hens is quite unusual? Or is it another problem I should be looking for? They are overall very healthy, get enough light, food, and calcium, and do not have an apparent source of stress. I do no see any signs of predators or egg eating in their coop.
too long, didn’t read; Both of my hens have stopped laying eggs and have gone broody, despite me having taken away the eggs several days ago. why have they stopped laying? Is it broody hormones, or something else like the weather changes or possible illness?
he sits by them almost all day long). Have they stopped laying because they are broody and just a little too confused to realize they have to sit eggs to hatch them? Have they stopped laying because the temperature is getting warmer and they are both bigger breeds, and it’s a weird coincidence? Are their hormones mingling and effecting one another somehow, as 2 out of 2 broody hens is quite unusual? Or is it another problem I should be looking for? They are overall very healthy, get enough light, food, and calcium, and do not have an apparent source of stress. I do no see any signs of predators or egg eating in their coop.too long, didn’t read; Both of my hens have stopped laying eggs and have gone broody, despite me having taken away the eggs several days ago. why have they stopped laying? Is it broody hormones, or something else like the weather changes or possible illness?
