Broody or not Broody!!??!!

[Jeevesrules]

I Have a Welsumer hen that, against all the prejudices about the welsumer breed, goes broody all the time. One day she was particularly more interested is laying on an empty nestbox than usual, and she left me with no choice: The next day I went to my friend with a rooster to ask for some fertile eggs, and he complied. On the way home i was getting quite exited about the idea and by the time i got home i could wait!! i ran to the end of the garden expecting a broody hen to happily accept the eggs, but she decided she didnt want to have little baby chicks anymore!!!!! How Frustrating!!!!!!!!

it has been almost 2 weeks now and i have gone through 3 clutches of fertile eggs (as the original eggs would be unhatchable by now) and she still hast gone broody! Is there anything i can do to encourage he to sit on those eggs!!!???!!!!

 

[BirdBrain]

Give her some golf balls and once she is sitting tight, swap them out.

 

[Jeevesrules]

I'll try that, I tried it earlier but couldn't get her to go anywhere near the nest, perhaps if I put them on before she lays in the morning?

 

[farrellyred]

try moving her onto the eggs at night time(when she is sleepy!!) I have heard this works but I have never tried it.

 

[naughtyhens]

I have a broody welsummer right now. I just reread a hatchery description that says "considered a nonsitting breed" and had a chuckle. I let her sit on a huge pile of fake eggs for 3-4 days before I was sure and bought some fertile eggs for her. I have heard that giving hens extra or fresh oyster shell helps them go broody. This makes sense to me because my hen was laying rather thin shelled eggs shortly before so I was trying to get more calcium into her. I think the days getting longer must also have something to do with it; wild birds are nesting in my neighborhood too.
My hen went through a long stage of being nearly broody, sitting on eggs for a few hours after laying and then having normal activities, before she suddenly decided to sit day and night. So stay hopeful. I bet she'll get serious again.

 

[Jeevesrules]

Thanks!! This fills me with hope for those unborn chicks!!

 

[pdsavage]

Quote:
The maximum storage period for chickens is about 3 weeks. Some turkey eggs will survive for 4 weeks, but quail will have difficulty developing from eggs stored longer than 2 weeks.

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_storage.html