Hi everyone I’m from Australia and was looking for suggestions with my broody hen.
Scully is 14 months old and has been broody 5 times. I tried closing nesting box but that stressed my other 4 hens and my egg production dropped from 130 to 88 in the month. I have been “jailing” her usually lasting a week the last 3 times but she gets clucky again within 10 days. During this time she is still laying.
I worry about the long term effects of this on her body. I go out several times a day to check if the others have all laid so I can close off nesting boxes and let her out but this usually doesn’t happen till about 4 in the afternoon. So for now she is in jail just as much as she is free.
Any suggestions on how to break this vicious cycle would be appreciated.
Scully is 14 months old and has been broody 5 times. I tried closing nesting box but that stressed my other 4 hens and my egg production dropped from 130 to 88 in the month. I have been “jailing” her usually lasting a week the last 3 times but she gets clucky again within 10 days. During this time she is still laying.
I worry about the long term effects of this on her body. I go out several times a day to check if the others have all laid so I can close off nesting boxes and let her out but this usually doesn’t happen till about 4 in the afternoon. So for now she is in jail just as much as she is free.
Any suggestions on how to break this vicious cycle would be appreciated.