Broody Hen

[valeriem205]

What we always did was put a bag of ice on the chicken or we would douse her with water. The water is good in the summer but the ice works year round.

 

[EggWalrus]

Well she tried to stay in nest 22/24 hours a day I had been taking her out at night and putting on the roost, and taking her out as often as I found her in the nest box which was constant. I just went down there and she was squaking up a storm and had knocked her water over I refilled that and positioned it better. If she keeps it up I will put in a rubber bowl, right now she has the mason jar waterer I used when they were little. I am hoping she gets past this soon, the last few days the egg production for the entire flock dropped in half I hope broody is not contagious! I have 5 chicks coming the first week of April I am hoping she gets broody about that time but we shall see. I need to put proper doors on the chicken jail, if by some miracle she decides to be broody before the chicks come I will make that area all snuggly for her and set the fake eggs in there until the chicks come. Ya, wishful thinking!

Gary

Some breeds that only lay just before they go broody a couple of times a year like game birds, and RJF, it seems like if you let one go broody and don't break her, within a week they all start laying and a week or two later, they all quit laying and about half will start sitting. Some of my birds I only get about 20-40 eggs per year depending on if they lay/sit/broody 2 or 3 times a year. Half seem to lay eggs on top of a broody and never have the urge to sit on eggs, they leave it to the broody. Kinda smart, I guess it beats sitting in 1 spot for 3 weeks if someone will do it for you!

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Some breeds that only lay just before they go broody a couple of times a year like game birds, and RJF, it seems like if you let one go broody and don't break her, within a week they all start laying and a week or two later, they all quit laying and about half will start sitting. Some of my birds I only get about 20-40 eggs per year depending on if they lay/sit/broody 2 or 3 times a year. Half seem to lay eggs on top of a broody and never have the urge to sit on eggs, they leave it to the broody. Kinda smart, I guess it beats sitting in 1 spot for 3 weeks if someone will do it for you!

Fluffy is due to get sprung in a couple hours, coming up on the 36 hour mark. Hopefully we are past this its been tough on her being jailed for the crime of being hormonal

Gary