Broody question

[Nigellas]

I have a Java that's been broody for nearly a week now - I've been continuing to take the eggs from under her and take her off the nest, but she is persistent. At this point, I'm feeling rather sorry for her and her quest for motherhood - I'm considering getting her some fertile eggs to sit on (we are a rooster free zone here) but had some questions about that.

1. If she's already been in there for 5-6 days, if I add eggs in teh next day or so, will she stop sitting on them early based on when she first went broody?

2. Can she stay where she is in the coop? We only have 4 hens and my broody is the top lady, if that makes a difference.

3. I'm not actually sure where I can get fertile eggs on such short notice... Would it be better to let her sit on these duds and then in the right amount of time sneak her some chicks?

Thanks for your help - Even though I've had chickens for a few years now, this is my first true broody. I've had some that would try for a day or two, but never this long...

 

[Sorin]

To answer a couple of your questions, I think if you let her set on some eggs for a few days you could probably sneak some baby chicks under her and she would be fine. Your #2 question, she should be fine where she is. Question #1, I'm not sure, I think she would stay til they hatched

. I think if you wanted her to be a momma, and don't want Roos, I'd say your best bet is stick some live, sexed baby feed store chicks under her some night. That way she gets to be a momma, and you don't have to worry about Roos! Hope this helps, I'm sure some more knowledgable people will chime in here too!

 

[Judy]

1. They don't have a good internal clock. I put eggs under one once who had been sitting for over 2 months, and she hatched and raised them. Sometimes they will stop sitting in the middle, eggs or no. The number of eggs isn't critical either. If you leave them in the coop, they will steal othrs' eggs and others will try to lay in their nest while they are in it; I always marked the eggs I wanted her to hatch with a sharpie, then checked every day to remove new additions. (Yes, chickens can carry eggs, they tuck them under their "chin.")

2. Yes. If you separate them, the others don't bother them (sometimes a broody gets picked on) or step on their eggs, and can't hurt the chicks when they hatch. I've always let mama and chicks in with the flock within a day or two of hatch, or else just let them set and hatch in with the flock. The mamas have protected the chicks from other hens, and the roos have either not bothered the chicks or helped care for them a little. Others on here have not had such good experiences, though. I don't want to house a bunch of chicks separately for 4 months, then go through integrating them with the flock, though, not when the mama can take care of it for me from day one. Just mark eggs and check under her daily if you leave her where she is. (She will probably try to peck you. You'll get adept real quick at gently holding her neck/head still while you reach under her with your other hand.)

3. You can probably sneak her the chicks now. Safest to do it at night and with the smallest/youngest chicks in the store. I tried this once during the day and she ran them out of the nest. Normally the mama will keep the chicks under her for about a day and night after hatching starts, then abandon any unhatched eggs and teach the chicks to eat/drink. When you buy chicks they of course have already learned how and are ready to go. So if you put them under her right after dark, she has all night to get used to their quietly sleeping under her before they're ready to go. Be prepared to care for the chicks, though, as occasionally she won't accept them.

You could also order fertile eggs. Again, she doesn't have a good internal clock and should set til they hatch. It doesn't usually take long to get shipped eggs unless the seller is waiting for them to be laid; just work with your seller.

Good luck!

 

[Nigellas]

So I wouldn't need to wait 21 days (or whatever it is) to put chicks under her?
Thanks

 

[Judy]

Nope, only long enough to be sure she is really broody, and you've already done that.

And yes, it's 21 days.