Can you fool a broody?

[fullhouse]

By letting them sit on both fertile eggs and golf balls? I only have 6 fertile eggs.

 

[Wildsky]

fool her how?
She doesn't need more than 6 - a broody would be happy with 2 as well.

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
She is sitting on her infertile eggs and still laying. I have fertile eggs to put under her, but I don't know if there is a point she will stop laying? Seems letting her sit on unfertile eggs for weeks is a bad idea.

 

[ginasmarans]

If she is truly broody,she should not be laying eggs. If she is continually on the eggs,remove the infertile ones and give her the fertile ones. Be sure to mark them if there is a way another hen could lay eggs.
Just re-read my post and realized it did not make sense. It's better now.

 

[priszilla]

If you are sure shes brooding-why not just pull the infertile ones?I wouldn't put in golf balls-might break the good eggs or injure hatching babies-jmo

 

[dacjohns]

When she has enough eggs under her she will quit laying.

 

[fullhouse]

I assume she is truly boody. Not leaving the nest, turning into a big angry poofball when I get close, trying to take a chunk out my fingers. Two days ago there were 6 eggs, yesterday 7, plus 4 from the other hens, so she didn't swipe anyone elses. So I gather sitting and laying is not the norm? I have never done the broody thing before.

 

[dacjohns]

She sounds truly broody.

My first attempt at a suspected broody hen was a failure. I thought she was going broody and over the course of a few days put other eggs under her. Got up to a dozen. She didn't do anything.

My second and third attempts were successful. This time they were showing stronger signs of broodiness. For the first and second days of broodiness I gave them eggs from the other hens. I just set them in the nest next to the hens and they would nudge the eggs under them. About three weeks later for each bird, new chicks. I had a banty hatch out a standard egg and I had a standard banty eggs.

I have read that if you only have one broody hen and you don't give her anymore eggs she will lay about 8 eggs and then quit laying. They somehow regulate the heat the eggs are exposed to so they all hatch about the same time.