Broody bantam

[irlybird]

A week ago Thursday our bantam went broody. At first she would hiss when we came near and now she cooperates and gets out of the nesting box. We got in a few times a day and kick her out.

I go in every morning and collect eggs and then about 3 hours later go back and get the remaining. We have 15 hens and they all seem to lay before noon.

When I go in around noon the broody hen has switched nesting boxes to a box that 2 other hens laid in. Are these eggs still safe to eat being they have been sat on for 2-4 hours?

My next question is - as long as this bird is regularly getting out of the nesting box (via me) can I just let her ride out her 21 days?

She doesn't seem to be affecting any other girls but I thought it was best to ask.

 

[Ms Clucky]

Yes they are still safe to eat. If you don't want her to set, just keep the eggs out. She will get over it in a couple of days. If she don't, maybe put her in a cage in the chicken coop until she stops being broody.

 

[aart]

Eggs will be fine to eat.

My next question is - as long as this bird is regularly getting out of the nesting box (via me) can I just let her ride out her 21 days?

Not likely.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
The longer you wait to break her the longer it might take to do so.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.