Broody on infertile eggs. What next?

[lovemychickies]

My poor little white frizzle bantam has been trying SO hard to hatch eggs which I think are infertile. It's been about two and a half weeks and after looking at the great new pics on here of how to candle eggs, I'm realizing that the eggs are duds.
How do I go about taking care of my hen? Do I just take the eggs away? What if she lays more? Any help would be appreciated. I'm still really new to all of this.

 

[melissastraka]

Get with a BYC member or someone locally that has fertile eggs and slip them under her. There is no difference if they are her own or placed there by you. Good luck

 

[lovemychickies]

Thanks for the tip. My rooster is a bantam and I guess he just can't quite reach!!

If I'm not able to get my hands on fertile eggs, what would be the next step? I can't let the poor little thing set forever.

 

[Mahonri]

Some folks buy day old chicks and slip them under a broody at night... Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't so if it doesn't you have to be prepared to move the chicks into a brooder and your broody away from her nest.

 

[lovemychickies]

Okay... so how do I remove her from her nest? She made it on the floor away from the nesting boxes. Do I just take her off, remove the eggs and force her to spend the day outside with her friends? Will she just forget about the chickies that could of been?

If she keeps laying do I just keep taking? Poor little thing.

 

[thethreadedgarden]

I have been folowing your post looking for some help for a simular situation. I have three broody bantams sitting on unfertilized eggs. They are all very determined to do their duty and I wonder if they will sit past 3 weeks wating for life?

 

[lovemychickies]

I know.... I don't know what to do. I'm not extremely interested in finding more eggs to put under her because I'm not very good at finding new homes for roosters. I would really like to just relive her of her situation and see her outside with her buddies. Help!!

It's been nearly three weeks! She looks like she could use a break. --And they're not even fertile!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You can break her broody mood by placing her in a wire-bottomed cage (like a rabbit or parrot cage) set up on something like sawhorses or blocks, so she gets a breeze going up under her. Give her food & water, but no bedding. In 3-5 days she'll get back to her regularly scheduled programming.

Take her off her nest at night. Have her cage set up ready. She will probably fuss & squawk, and get the rest of the flock alarmed on her behalf. Don't worry on her behalf, chickens aren't the type to think too deeply about lost motherhood. It happens in nature, when nests are robbed, and the birds go on with their birdy business.

Have a big hole ready under a tree or bush to bury those eggs.

Try to keep your Broody Buster cage handy for whenever any other hens go broody. Try to catch them early in their cycle & keep them laying eggs for you.

 

[lovemychickies]

Thank you so much for your advice. Very informative and helpful. Being that tomorrow is Sunday (a day off!!!) , I will get that little girl up off her eggs. THANK YOU!!!!

 

[Pupsnpullets]

You could also buy a few day old sexed female chicks and, after dark, slip the eggs out and slip the chicks in.