Explain what being broody is to me.

[JoeInPA]

My chickens aren't laying yet, but one is getting close to the age where she should be laying. The other three pullets have a little while yet.

Before I start getting eggs, i'd like to know what the details of broody hens. I have a rooster and I'd rather not have baby chicks. Can't I just collect the eggs daily? How would the hen be broody if she has no eggs to sit on? Would a hen become aggressive if I am taking eggs from her while she is broody? What if anything can I do to prevent her from becoming broody? Anything else I should know?

 

[DobieLover]

It's rare that pullets become broody.
Broody hens will stay on the nest all day and all night. They will pluck the feathers off their bellies.
They will puff up a growl at you when you try to move them. Some also peck and/or bite.
When they are off the nest they walk around clucking like a ticking time bomb and are very cranky with anyone who comes near them.
You can't prevent broodiness but you can break it.
Hens exhibiting broodiness can be locked in a wire dog crate with no bedding on the floor. The crate should be elevated so cool are can circulate under her belly. The hen stays in the crate all day and all night with food and water for about 3 days. When let out, they need to be monitored to see if they go back to the nest.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Broodiness is triggered by a hormone that the hen produces at certain times, & can be a struggle to break. Broodiness causes the stronge urge to hatch, & raise chicks. You can prevent Broodiness by removing eggs out of nesting boxes daily. But they can still go broody with nothing to sit on.
What breeds do you have?

 

[ValerieJ]

My chickens aren't laying yet, but one is getting close to the age where she should be laying. The other three pullets have a little while yet.

Before I start getting eggs, i'd like to know what the details of broody hens. I have a rooster and I'd rather not have baby chicks. Can't I just collect the eggs daily? How would the hen be broody if she has no eggs to sit on? Would a hen become aggressive if I am taking eggs from her while she is broody? What if anything can I do to prevent her from becoming broody? Anything else I should know?

The short answer is, a hen will go broody when she wants to hatch out eggs. You cannot prevent this. It is hormonal.

You'll know she is broody because she wont want to get off the nest and when you or another chicken tries to disturb her she will growl. How you break her is to take her off the nest every time you are out there and take the eggs away. Just wear gloves because she will peck at you. When you set her down outside she will sort of flatten out, make strange noises and be a little bit spastic when she walks or runs around. This method has broken my broodies in 3 or 4 days every time. Some people have had some stubborn broodies and found other more drastic methods, such as setting the hen in cold water to cool her down, or putting her in a suspended cage with food and water for a couple days. You can search the forums for descriptions of these methods.

As for the eggs, it is fine for them to be fertilized. They are still good to eat, and should be collected every day, as you suggest, or even twice a day. Fertilized eggs should be kept in the refrigerator.

I have heard that fertilized eggs actually contain natural penicillin. That sounds beneficial to me, but I have a friend who cannot eat them because she is allergic to penicillin.

How many pullets do you have?

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have heard that fertilized eggs actually contain natural penicillin. That sounds beneficial to me, but I have a friend who cannot eat them because she is allergic to penicillin.

This is good to know for me ... I'm allergic to penicillin Wonder if it's the same as the injection? Not brave enough to "test" it

 

[ValerieJ]

This is good to know for me ... I'm allergic to penicillin Wonder if it's the same as the injection? Not brave enough to "test" it

It would definitely be worth your time to research this. I haven't because I don't have a need to know. I just know that my friend did, and this is what she told me. Do you have fertilized eggs? Have you been eating them?

 

[JoeInPA]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am understanding better now. I have 1 rooster, 4 pullets. The rooster is a Welsummer. One pullet is a Welsummer, the other three are White Rocks.

Is it really true that fertilized eggs contain penicillin? I am the only one in the house who isn't allergic to penicillin.

 

[Acre4Me]

My chickens aren't laying yet, but one is getting close to the age where she should be laying. The other three pullets have a little while yet.

Before I start getting eggs, i'd like to know what the details of broody hens. I have a rooster and I'd rather not have baby chicks. Can't I just collect the eggs daily? How would the hen be broody if she has no eggs to sit on? Would a hen become aggressive if I am taking eggs from her while she is broody? What if anything can I do to prevent her from becoming broody? Anything else I should know?

If you collect eggs daily, you will not get chicks. What breeds do you have? Some have a higher likelihood of going broody.

We have had only one broody in all our pullets/hens and numerous breeds. Our only broody has been a black australorp. Her sister has thought about being broody 2x but gave up within 4 days each time. The actual broody hen has gone broody 5x in her 19 months of life and has successfully adopted and raised 3 batches of chicks. She raises them for 6.5 weeks, and has sat for about 3 weeks prior each time ... so she’s spent a lot of time being broody. But she’s the only one so far! We have more pullets just coming into lay, new breeds, so maybe we will get more that will be broody-time will tell.

 

[cmom]

I have heard that fertilized eggs actually contain natural penicillin. That sounds beneficial to me, but I have a friend who cannot eat them because she is allergic to penicillin.

I would like to know their sources. This is new to me and I have never heard of it. Just curious...

 

[ChickNanny13]

It would definitely be worth your time to research this. I haven't because I don't have a need to know. I just know that my friend did, and this is what she told me. Do you have fertilized eggs? Have you been eating them?

No fertilized eggs for me, no Roos allowed here ... Just curious