Broodiness question about Ameraucanas

[suzpyoung]

I've been reading that Ameracaunas aren't setters, such as on this site:

http://mypetchicken.com/Ameraucana-B5.aspx

However, I allowed my black girl to hatch a silkie egg that I purchased (she's now happy as she can be) because she sat for weeks, and now my blue gal has been holed up in the nesting box for 5 days. I gave her a fake egg so I could take the real ones.

What is the real deal with broodiness in this breed? Thanks!

 

[becky3086]

I think it just depends. Any breed can have a broody when they normally wouldn't. No matter what breeding has been done, at one time, all chickens went broody naturally.

 

[klf73]

I have limited experience as this is my first year of them laying. I have had a couple try going broody but after I remove the eggs they give up quick. Haven't had any that were that determined, yet.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Becky is right. There is always an exception to the rule but generally speaking Ameraucanas are not at all broody.

God Bless,

 

[suzpyoung]

Thanks everyone for the responses! It figures that the only two Ameraucanas I have would become broody - so no blue eggs for awhile!

Is there a "cure" for it other than letting them hatch eggs? My RIR bantam was broody for 3 months and didn't snap out of it until I bought her some Cochin eggs to hatch. Her only hatchling is now about 10 weeks old and she's finally laying again!

 

[lauralou]

I have 10 broody hens, and clearly I can't let them all sit on eggs every time they want to. So I have to break them of their broodiness.

What I do is put them in a wire bottomed cage with a roost in it. That way they have no bedding, nothing that resembles a nest. They have to roost, and it keeps their bellies cooler. Eventually, they stop being broody. Depending on the hen, it may take 3 days, or it may take a week.

Then about a week later, they start laying eggs again. Then about 3 weeks after that, they try to be broody again, and the whole cycle starts over.

 

[Momo]

My 8 month old buff Ameraucana hen recently hatched 10 babies and is a good mom. None of my BBS girls have expressed any interest in giving it a try. I believe the buffs go broody more often than the other colors.

 

[suzpyoung]

That's interesting about the buffs! However, my broody gals are 1 black and 1 blue, and they are about the same age as your girl. Any pictures of her and her babies??

 

[EweSheep]

My Amercuana bantam girls all did at one time or another. Great mommas!

 

[pips&peeps]

All varieties of real ameraucanas can be broody. Some more than others like the buffs.

MPC is referring to easter eggers.

Last week, I had these broodies:

1 silver
2 wheatens
1 buff
2 blacks in the split lav pen
1 blue
1 splash
1 black in the black/blue pen
1 blue in the black/blue pen

The wheatens are off the nest as I put them in cages. The buff is in a cage now. The silver finally got off the nest as did the splash and the black in the black/blue pen.

I plan to remove a couple more from the nest today if my kids stop fighting long enough for me to get outside.