Broody RIR hen?... Oh no~

[cmom]

Quote:
I don't have my rooster any more so I don't have any fertile eggs but am not interested in hatching eggs right now. I have considered it but I would rather buy some fertile eggs and put them in the Incubator if I do decide to hatch any.

I read your BYC Page. It was very interesting. Your flock is similar to mine. I have RIRs and ISA Browns. They sure do look alike.

 

[digitS']

I used to just let them set on eggs and hatch babies, Cmom. That was back when I had roosters.

I've "broken" broodies by simply removing them from the nest and putting them on the roost at night. That didn't work with my current broody.

It doesn't matter if there's an egg in there or not, Olivia wants to spend 24/7 on that nest. So every day, I remove her from the nest in the early afternoon and block off that part of the coop. If a hen appears "desperate" to get in the nestbox to lay an egg, I let that one in and keep Broody Olivia out.

It hasn't worked. She will be off the nest acting fairly normal just a bit feisty and wanting to lay around. She will climb on the roost at night but as soon as she can get back to the nestbox in the morning, Olivia's right back in there until I drag her off again.

This has been going on nearly 3 weeks! Today, I put her in the only "cage" that was available - a plastic milk crate on a couple of bricks. Yeah, she doesn't have much more room than a chance to turn around in there. But, I'm allowing the other hens to get to the nestboxes until about 1pm when I block them off again. Then Olivia can come out of her cage. She will miss setting in the nestbox completely for about 36 hours this time.

I sure hope it puts an end to the broodiness. It's time for Olivia to get past this laying around all day (or half the day) in an empty box.

Steve

 

[cmom]

I may have to resort to putting her in a cage. I kicked Ms Broody out of a nest box earlier and now she is back in. It doesn't stop the others as they just jump in the nest box with her.

 

[cmom]

Tomorrow Ms. Broody goes into my chicken jail now broody breaker.

 

[irenew]

Hi

I have a white leghorn crossed barred rock who lays for about 3 weeks and then goes clucky.

Anyway the best way to get them over cluckyness is get them of that nice warm nest. The best thing is a wire bottom cage off the ground. Second to this is in a run without house or nesting box.

They need to not feel comfortable and cold air round their feathers is good.

It takes three days off the nest (don't forget feed and water) to get over the cluckyness, then between 3 days and a week to start laying again.

A clucky hen will stay clucky just about forever otherwise.

Hope that helps

Irene

 

[LynneP]

Your girls and mine could have come from the same hatch! I have only one who looks more like a Buff Orp, and she is my alpha- a gentle soul who handles everyone with quiet aplomb!

 

[FluffyColor]

Quote:
I don't have my rooster any more so I don't have any fertile eggs but am not interested in hatching eggs right now. I have considered it but I would rather buy some fertile eggs and put them in the Incubator if I do decide to hatch any.

I read your BYC Page. It was very interesting. Your flock is similar to mine. I have RIRs and ISA Browns. They sure do look alike.

You are lucky you have a broody.I'd stick some fertile eggs under her.Whole Foods has got them,maybe you could go there.I'm going thier today.I'm going to buy some of the eggs and tell my mom and dad they're to eat,then at home I'll steal an egg or two,make a bator and keep my mouth shut......

(Hush hush...my dad's allergic.)

 

[digitS']

How's it going with Ms. Broody, Cmom?

Here's an update on Olivia: After keeping her off the nest thru the afternoons and nights for weeks. I put her in that milk crate thru the morning yesterday so that she didn't get to the nest for about 36 hours.

Today, sure enough, Olivia got right back on the nest during the early morning. However, when I opened the door so that the hens could free-range around the backyard - out she came, too!

She went right back to the nest but was out again after about 2 hours. This afternoon, I did not block off the nest area for the 1st time in weeks and Olivia has been outdoors the entire afternoon.!

I'll make sure that she doesn't sleep on the nest tonight but it's obvious, she's losing interest in brooding. I think that having her fanny in the air for a couple of days would have resulted in a complete break but I'm happy that she's making this decision more-or-less

, on her own.

Gosh, I got tired of dragging her out of there everyday.

Steve

 

[cmom]

I put Ms Broody in the chicken jail/brooder yesterday. I will let her out for awhile tomorrow and see if she goes back in the nest boxes. If she does then it will be back in jail for 2/3 more days. In this picture I had two bully hens and had plywood in the bottom. The bottom is wire. I took out the plywood.

 

[FluffyColor]

Like I said,

.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!