dumb broody hens!!!

[iluvsedward]

I have six amarucunas and a rooster,like three of them are broody right now but arn't sitting on the eggs longer than 2 hours then they leave for like 2 hours and come back,or somtimes they don't come back at all. and its not warm here! this morning it was 37 degrees and they wern't taking care of them, and they go up to roost at night. I know I should build a nestbox off the ground but I don't have the time or stuff
anyone know why they are like this?

 

[midget_farms]

sounds like they lost interest. Not broody anymore. They shouldn't leave the eggs for that long.

 

[CallyB57]

They are not broody. It is hard to get a broody hen off a nest. Perhaps they felt broody, then decided it was an inappropriate place to hatch out their babies, so abandoned the eggs. Chickens are very smart and I think they could figure that out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A hen has to set on the nest for two consecutive nights before I consider her broody. Otherwise, she is not serious enough for me to give her eggs.

 

[growinupinfl]

As for getting the nest off the ground here is a few options,

You can post on something like www.freecycle.org/ or craigslist asking for wood, and you will be surprised at how many people will help you out. And you can also use good old logs to life them up. I did both and built a pretty decent coop for pretty dang cheap.. Here is how I did the logs. We just dug out a hole and put them in then packed it down as hard as we could. I figured this out after watching how the built houses in colonial Jamestown! I finally realized if they could use good old fashioned logs, how come I can't to lift a coop off the ground. Just make sure you have them cut evenly or you dig the holes at the right heights to make them even before you put the nest on top of them. All you would need is some logs that most people would use for fire wood.

Christal

 

[Illia]

Doesn't sound like broody hens at all to me.

Broody hens will sit on the eggs night and day, and ONLY get up to take a quick drink or bite to eat, and only once a day or every other day. Oterwise, there is no stopping them

If you have real Ameraucanas, there is a likelyhood they're getting prepped to be broody. But far as I remember, you have EE's not Ameraucanas, whom are seldom ever broody.

 

[sourland]

They are not broody. They may be starting the broody process. I never count them as broody until they spend the night on the nest. Two nights to be sure of inexperienced hens.

 

[kleeo12]

Newbie question

How long can a egg be left alone without the hen sitting on it? My hen just started laying and I was trying to let her have an egg, but she gets up and leaves the egg.
I understand she probably isnt broody yet- or may never be- but I didnt know if there was a rule of thumb to go by LOL
Also, should I mark the eggs as she lays them so I know the dates they were laid or will the hen not touch them again if I touch them? (like other birds)

 

[Illia]

You're fine if you touch the eggs. . . However I wouldn't worry about leaving eggs in there to encourage broodiness. Either she goes broody or she doesn't.

 

[iluvsedward]

well we have both EEs and amaracunas, but the thing is they are not laying, but sitting on the nest, also other hens will come and sit too, here is what i did out of curiosity (sp?) I took one of my chicks (That i hatched myself) and a very big plastic easter egg and put the wee lil' thing inside but it still didn't fit, so i left it open (don't worry i was being very gentle and careful as not to hurt the chick) some, and put it under one of the hens, it pushed itself out and the new mommy did not hurt it at all they snuggled for a bit but then to my anger and frustration, she left the chick and did not come back

I was so close!!!!