Broody hens sitting on golf balls

[duckface]

When my hens start laying in the spring I put a few golf balls in their nests to encourage them to continue laying in that particular nest because I will collect the eggs. Four of them went broody with two having recently hatched their eggs, but I discovered that the other two don't have any eggs left in their nests, they only have the golf balls. Are they really not smart enough to know those aren't eggs? Will they eventually figure it out or do I need to remove them and/or destroy the nests?

 

[duckface]

Forgot to mention that I even put a couple of eggs from our incubator in each of their nests, too, but one of them kicked them out of the nest and the other one still has them, but if they haven't hatched by now I'm pretty sure they're not going to. They just seem determined to hatch these golf balls!

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

I am new to ducks, i have three 12 week old hens and I expect them to start laying in 6-8 weeks, I just started putting golf balls in their coop so they start getting the idea early and will be switching them to layer feed in 3 weeks... When you put your golf balls in "nests" are the nests something you made or created? I am thinking about sectioning off an area of their coop as a nesting area, I just don't know if it should just have walls or a lip in front or what, how do your nests look?

As for the not too smart broody girls, maybe you can remove the golf balls for a little while and once the girls have gotten back to normal, you can replace one in each nest... maybe its the quantity that is making them stay... I wouldn't know for sure since i'm brand-new to this whole thing.

 

[duckface]

When you put your golf balls in "nests" are the nests something you made or created? I am thinking about sectioning off an area of their coop as a nesting area, I just don't know if it should just have walls or a lip in front or what, how do your nests look?

They create the nests, but never where I'd like them to, lol. I've put little houses out for them to make nests in, but they will lay wherever they please. When they first come of laying age they will drop eggs in the middle of the yard, in the pool, in the food dish, anywhere! This time around three hens made nests in our wood shed, one made a nest up against the house and one made hers in a pile of brush that my husband had planned on burning. The one in the brush pile is a pekin and she never goes broody so we eat her eggs.

Good luck in creating a nesting area. If they're used to being confined, though, it will probably work. Mine are all free range so that's why they all scatter to the winds. Last year one made a nest in the middle of our horse pasture in some tall weeds. Took us a long time to find that one!

As for these golf ball brooders, the next time I catch them off their nests, I think I will just remove the balls and see what they do. Thanks so much for the reply.

 

[nina1marc2]

I have four 23 week pullets and two who just started laying a month ago. I just found one of my hen laying on the golf balls she moved into her nest and growled at me. She sleeps on the best instead of perching with her friends. This was the fourth night she did this. She hasn't laid eggs in four days either. I removed the golf balls and she is now perched up top of her coop with the other girls. I hope this broke her broody behavior.