Don’t want chicks - Remove eggs from broody?

[NickiesChickies]

Hello again to my favorite flock of all!
So, my cranky cockerels calmed down (albeit only a little) after we immobilized them. They’re still jerks though. Thanks for all of your advice.

My latest saga is my one hen has started laying eggs! Yay! First 4 were cute (little) and then they disappeared? I check every morning and evening and nothing.

So just yesterday we notice one hen was missing. We were panicky thinking a predator took her but checked cameras and nothing. It was weird. Then she just sauntered up like nothing was wrong.

To say we were puzzled was an understatement. Cut to today, she’s missing again. My Border Collies we’re sitting by my AC compressor and there she was right behind it sitting on 6 eggs!!!

Question is, we don’t want any more chicks at this time so do we just remove eggs? If yes, when is the best time? And how do I break the broody hen? Best practices.

Thank you all as always.

Nickie

 

[azygous]

Remove the eggs. However, unless you confine the hen to a broody cage, she will continue to sit as if there were still eggs under her.

A broody cage consists of a wire cage with maximum ventilation and a open mesh bottom, no bedding so air circulates under her, also.

Give her food and water and place her in this cage and put it where there is the most traffic and activity. She will sleep in it, also. She can be broken in as little as 24 hours or it could take three days. The test is to let her out and if she runs back to the nest to sit, she needs more time in the cage.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi Nickie. You should go ahead and remove the eggs and then put your broody in a cage, timing makes no difference. Food and water of course, and roost but no bedding. You can use a fan to move air through her cage if you need to but not too much. It can take a few days to a week or so for them to break. She'll quit making the clucky broody noises and then you'll know she's pretty well done.

 

[NatJ]

Question is, we don’t want any more chicks at this time so do we just remove eggs? If yes, when is the best time?

Yes, remove the eggs. Best time: as soon as you know where they are.

If the hen is broody, she will spend all night on her nest, and most of the day as well. You will see her only for a fairly short time, as she runs around eating and drinking and dustbathing before she disappears back to the nest. (If so, follow the instructions others give for breaking broody hens.)

But it sounds like the hen is just disappearing to lay an egg each day, and then coming back to spend most of her day with the rest of the flock, and sleeping with the flock at night. If she's doing that, then she is not broody. She just has a hidden nest.

To deal with a hidden nest: either put some fake eggs in it nest, so the hen will keep laying her eggs there (where you know where to find them.) Or shut her up for several days in a pen with the nest you do want her to use, to hopefully change her habits. If you just take the eggs and let her keep ranging freely, she will probably find herself another nest, better hidden than the previous one, and you won't know where to find the eggs.

 

[NickiesChickies]

You guys are awesome!!! So her nest is away from the coop and in between my house and my ac unit. can I put the (dog crate is going to be used) in the run of the coop (12'x12'x12' screened and enclosed) and leave her in there for 24 hours and let others go about their business otherwise? I usually let my flock free range all day and their access to coop through run is closed off. Should I leave it open during the day? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Nickie

 

[azygous]

Be sure the dig crate doesn't have a solid floor. It has to be open mesh for air to cool down the broody's body.

You can put the crate with the broody in it anywhere you like. It works better to have her exposed to as much activity as possible to counter her urge for seclusion which perpetuates the hormones.

I leave my broody in the cage in the run over night since I have a secure enclosed run, but I toss a sheet over the crate at night so the hen will feel more secure and less exposed should a predator visit the perimeter of the run during the night.

 

[NickiesChickies]

ok so to tell if she is broody or just laying eggs in a separate nest what am i looking for?

 

[NatJ]

ok so to tell if she is broody or just laying eggs in a separate nest what am i looking for?

Mostly where she sleeps: on the nest is broody, on the roost with the other chickens is not broody.

 

[NickiesChickies]

Mostly where she sleeps: on the nest is broody, on the roost with the other chickens is not broody.

Hmmmmm. She has been hanging out with the dock for the last few hours now. I grabbed the eggs out of the free range nest (she doesn’t sleep on it at night she sleeps in the coop but not sure if she is sleeping on the roost in the coop or in the box?

 

[MarkJr]

Hmmmmm. She has been hanging out with the dock for the last few hours now. I grabbed the eggs out of the free range nest (she doesn’t sleep on it at night she sleeps in the coop but not sure if she is sleeping on the roost in the coop or in the box?

If she’s not on the nest at night.... she’s not broody.