Crazy Lady -- Brooding Question

[Barry Natchitoches]

I have an Isa Brown who has been sitting on the only nest that the feathered clan will lay in for about two weeks now.


Other than when Ethyl or Lucy -- the two big Delawares that use their size to get their way with the other hens -- push her out of the preferred nest, this little girl has sat in the nest 24/7. She forces the other hens to lay with her in the nest. She spreads herself out flat like broodies do, and she fusses just like a broody when you rummage underneath her bottom to steal the eggs.


So we figured to quit fighting it, and bring her inside so that she could sit on some eggs in peace, and the other hens could get their favorite laying nest back.


I set her up a really nice nest inside a dog cage in the back bedroom. I put water and food in there, and a nest just like the one she's been sitting in 24/7 outside. The nest has 8 nice eggs that she can sit on and hatch.


Then I brought her in this afternoon.


And where is she as I write this?


Perched on the rim of the nest, bottom up in the air. Her bottom is no where near that nice collection of eggs we gave her.



What gives?


She's been dogged determined to brood -- up until the time of the move.

 

[Chiko]

You have to be careful when you move a broody hen. Many times when you move them they quit. You could try covering her nest she's used to or trying to get the other hens to lay somewhere else.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

She seems to be continuing the brood -- sort of.


Except that she's brooding by perching herself on the edge of the nest, instead of sitting in the nest and on the eggs.


It is as if she has an urge to brood, but doesn't know how to.


She is an Isa Brown, and Isa Browns are bred to be egg laying machines, not brooders. From what I have read, Isa Browns almost never go broody.


That makes me wonder if she really knows HOW to brood...

 

[AKsmama]

I had a broody Black Star who was a great first-time mother. I have a hatchery Marans who's taking great care of her 5 chicks, and three other hatchery Marans who are broody right now, as well as a hatchery EE who hatched out two eggs yesterday. So honestly, all this talk about broodiness being bred out of hatchery birds and hybrids is bunk, and not just based on my experience- I've seen lots of posts lately about broody hybrids and hatchery birds.

I think your problem is that you moved her, as the other poster said. Lots of times broodies don't want to be moved. Nothing you can do about it. And it doesn't mean that she doesn't know what she's doing.