Broody business is new to us!

[2newcomers]

Oh boy! What to do? Our lovely "big momma" leghorn wants to be a real momma and is sitting on 7 unfertilized eggs. It has been 9 days and she keeps moving eggs into her nest. What to do?? I know it isn't good for her to sit there forever, but it looks like she would!

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Hello and welcome....so glad you joined BYC

You have a few options. If you want chicks you could always obtain some fertile eggs to put under her that should hatch in 21 days. Or, you could purchase a few "day old" chicks and sneak them under her after dark and she should accept them as her own. Or....there are a few threads dedicated to "breaking broodiness" with detailed instructions. Just type "breaking broodies" in the search bar at the top of the page.

Hope that helps. I also have about 10 hens that are broody right now (all sitting on NOTHING). Most usually give up after awhile. I just make sure to boot mine off their nests daily so they get a drink, a bite to eat and some exercise.

Good luck to you

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, 2newcomers, and

! Happy you joined us! Breaking a broody can be a pain - I currently have two that I need to break - a Buff Orp and a Speckled Sussex. DDNONNIN gave you great advice. Good luck to you!

 

[fancy flock]

you can either break her broodiness, i locked my hen out of her coop evry day for about 3 days and that did the trick, or give her some fertile eggs to sit on (you can get them at the hatchery) i did this a few weeks ago with my silkie. leg horns are chickens for producing eggs and very rarley go broody so if you want more chickens let her take care of them. it is so much easier. about a year ago i got some chicks that i had in a kiddie pool in my house i had to clean it out, feed water, and clean any poop off of them everyday. when i had my silkies raise them i gave them food, water and made sure they were all there everynght. soooooooo much easier. whatever you do good luck

 

[2newcomers]

Thank you for the reply. It really surprised me that I have grown so fond of chickens! My mother thinks I am nuts! She grew up on a farm, eating their eggs and them without any qualms. Yikes! I guess she didn't name them.

 

[fancy flock]

ya i could never eat my chickens besides there isnt much meat on them anyway i only have ornamental chickens

 

[sahagi]

Congrats, newcomers, on learning the joys and puzzles of having chickens! I'm pretty new to chicken-tending myself, but am totally hooked.

I have experience with only one broody hen. I've left her alone and she seems to come to a natural end of her broodiness in about 3 weeks. She also does get up on her own daily to eat and drink. I've noticed she starts taking epic dust baths in the days or weeks before she settles into broodiness, and her clucks have a particular trill to them I never hear otherwise.

What are other people's experiences? Has anyone had a chicken get ill from not being kicked off the nest to eat/drink when broody?

 

[2newcomers]

After all of your good advice and encouragement, we have decided to order some chicks from Meyer Hatchery and sneak them under her at night when they arrive. We chose Rhode Island Reds because they are supposed to be both heat and cold tolerant and mild mannered. Can't wait!!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. As you have discovered we are great enablers and will gladly help you increase your flock size.

 

[drumstick diva]