Here's my dilemma. My DH and i are packing up our house to put it on the market to move 400 miles away. And, i have a broody hen. My little silkie hen, Dusty, has decided she is going to hatch sawdust or whatever she can, and i can't seem to break her from it. She was camped out in the nest box, which i removed. So now she has taken up residence in the backside of our converted chicken sleeping hutch. i feel so bad for her and am contemplating putting some fertile eggs under her - perhaps some showgirl eggs, if i can find them. But that would put her at hatching chicks right at the time we are selling and moving. i am dreading having to transport all our earthly belongings, 4 cats, a dozen chickens, and two aquariums full of fish to the other end of the state - so dealing with baby chicks seems like a drop to much. But i do feel so bad for Dusty, so determined, all puffed up, doing a great job of sitting on nothing - that a part of me wants to make her happy. Suggestions - do i throw some fertile eggs under her and just add it all to the excitement of moving - and, if so, does anyone know where to get fertile showgirl hatching eggs? Or, do i break her broody ways, and if so, how? Thanks in advance for any advice anyone might offer.
The sensible thing to do, would be to not let her set. On the other hand, you could easily pop her and her chicks into a big plastic dog crate, as their own little home. You're moving so much live stuff, what's one more crate??? I think you could make it work either way. It's just a matter of what you want to do, whether you want to hassle with it and how your husband feels about it. Will it complicate your chicken housing situation when you get to your new home?
I would let her sit and put her and her babies in a crate by themselves when you move. This way you get more chickens.
Ah, you guys are a bad influence (either that, or a good influence)! If i manage to find some showgirl hatching eggs, i just might let her go for it. She is just so determined to hatch something. i'm sure she would be a great mom.