Broody Buff Orpington...In January!!!!

[SandyC]

Hi,

I went out to gather eggs today and my Buff Orpington was sitting in a box on an egg she had to have laid late yesterday or today
and when I tried to get her off of it, she pecked and threw a fit. Now I live in Northern NY...spring is still 3-4 months away. Does it make
any point letting her nest? I can't imagine that anything she would sit on would make it as my coop is unheated. Will she be broody in
the spring again? I would like it then!

 

[rosaline]

You could try and remove the eggs and place under her ( if you can get close) fake eggs. I have seen them in pet shops just for this reason.

 

[dwegg]

Hey my Buff Orpington is also broody..? my first and I have no clue what to do. Someone said to put her in a wire cage for a few days? but it is freezing here just like everywhere else and I don't really know what they mean? like in the coop in a separate cage? in a cage all day and night? ect

I just keep taking her off and throwing her up in the air a little to 'get her going' each morning and afternoon so she will go and eat and drink and scratch around ect.

How long will she stay like this? and if you put fake eggs under her will this just encourage her to stay on the nest?

Why does she stay there if there are no eggs under her? I take them away each day when anyone lays one.

I don't want any more chickens and I don't have a rooster. If this was spring..maybe I would get her some fertile eggs but not in winter, not in temps like this...I am too inexperienced to raise babies just yet and would hate it if they perished because I did something wrong ect.

 

[speckledhen]

If you don't want her to hatch chicks, remove the eggs. Never let her keep any under her. No need for her to go on limited rations in winter, as broodies will, if she will not be hatching chicks.

 

[jeslewmazer]

If she is trying to go broody you can do like rosaline and dwegg said and put fake egg(s) under her. If not just break her off. If she wants to be broody she should be broody again in the spring/summer/fall. I normally have a few select hens that raise 2 clutches each, 1clutch in spring and 1clutch in fall.

 

[dwegg]

Wow..there are a lot of posts at the moment about broody hens and a lot of these are Buff Orpingtons..is there something about the weather or time of year or type of chicken?

Like I said i think I will try getting her some eggs in the spring if she goes broody again...it might be fun then but not now when it is sooooo cold.

will she be ok to just let her go till she stops if I check her twice a day and make sure that she eats and drinks each time? Is it mean to let her sit when there is no chance of babies ect? I don't mean to hijack your thread but I have the same questions...

will she stop eventually on her own or does it vary for each chicken?

 

[rosaline]

All chickens are different. Orpingtons are very broody and so are Silkies so I have heared. Althought you would think that the weather would stop them been broody. They must be nice and warm in thier coop, pehaps that is why they are broody/ or just wont get of the nest becouse of the cold.

 

[grngni]

I posted about my BO in the injuries and disease section because of the big bare patch on her chest and belly and got the reply that she's broody based on also saying she won't leave the nest-no eggs under her though. Is this feather loss also normal?

 

[ChookHappy]

Quote:
They have been known to pluck the chest feathers out on their own to have more contact with their eggs thus keeping them warmer. It might be a contact thing too, to be more connected with their eggs but I'm coming up with this one so it's probably wrong.

 

[4hens4us]

OK, I feel better after reading this broody thread. I have a Buff Orphington who for the past 3 days will not leave her nexting box unless forcefully removed. No eggs for 3 days either, and huge bare spot on her chest. From what I've read, this is her going broody. Is it really true that once they go broody they will never lay eggs again? We will not let her have fertile eggs as we're limited on space & not interested in more chicks right now. I guess I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for her. We try to keep her out of the box as much as we can. Make sure she gets food & water when she's out of the box. What else? Will my three other hens want to do the same thing too? 3 others are Lakenvelder, Golden Laced Wyandotte, and a Delaware. I should also say that the B.O. and the Delaware do sleep in their nesting boxes (but manage to keep it rather clean - hardly any poop). I didn't know it was so bad to have them sleep in the nesting boxes. They're about 9 months old. Will I be able to break this habit of theirs? I think the thing that is freaking me out about the B.O. is how puffed up she gets her feathers. The ones around her neck look all spiky & her bottom seems to be way up in the air. I was wondering if that is because of the bald spot on her chest & she's trying to stay low to the ground to keep herself warm? I'm new to this so I have lots of questions. Thanks anybody who will answer!
Jennifer