Get Out of That Nestbox!

[3KillerBs]

There is always the house. I would set up a space somewhere in the house. As I wrote, the change of environment in the house for a bit might snap her out of it. She needs to be broken and can't wait 6 weeks.
I'd set up the crate in the bathroom, spare room, where ever you have enough space for the crate. Leave a radio playing, the TV. Lot's of distraction to get her mind off brooding.

We do not have chickens in the house.

I might try the cold water thing when it gets a little warmer. Or I'll get her some eggs next weekend when I see my friend who has a rooster.

 

[aart]

If she'd have waited just 6 weeks!

They never(well rarely) go when you want them too!

I might try the cold water thing when it gets a little warmer. Or I'll get her some eggs next weekend when I see my friend who has a rooster.

Go for it!!

 

[writerskramp]

Cordon, my #1 Blue Australorp, seems to be considering going broody. I've just booted her feathery backside out of the nestbox for the third time this week and I suspect I'll find her there when I go to shut them up after dark too.

Very inconvenient timing since they'll be moving to their new coop within a month or so. If we were all established I'd be happy to have a broody and would try to source some eggs for her to incubate.

Hens don't consult our calendars though.

I am planning on building a broody jail in the new coop but haven't a safe place to set one up in this space so I'll just have to keep shoving her out of the nest and see what happens as time passes.

Let her nest.. more chicks.. In a few weeks, and it doesn't hurt to have them segregated.

 

[CLSranch]

Let her nest.. more chicks.. In a few weeks, and it doesn't hurt to have them segregated.

That's what I'd do. But I like getting a few extra chicks throughout the year to compensate for the later loses. And I don't have to go buy chicks after losing some laying hens.

 

[3KillerBs]

DH pulled her out of the box today, saw an egg yolk in the nest, then realized that the empty shell was stuck under her wing -- she'd had an egg up there and he'd crushed it when he pulled her out. So he's not doing that again.

He also reminded me about the $10 homemade dog pen we'd bought at the thrift store and suggested making her a pen out of it. There are a few pieces of random metal roof/siding scraps so I might be cobbling together a little broody coop that could sit inside the current electric netting.

 

[3KillerBs]

OK, depending on how well I can figure out how to create a sheltered nest place using the dog pen and some random pieces of sheet metal (inside the electric netting), it looks like we'll be asking my friend for some fertile eggs and letting Cordon sit.

 

[3KillerBs]

Update:

Cordon is still faithfully attempting to hatch her golf balls.

It would be possible to use the aforementioned dog pen and some scrap metal siding to make her a broody coop with a ground nest (within the electric netting), but I can't figure out how to use it to make a broody jail -- the structure just isn't solid enough.

My friend with the rooster is having an egg supply crisis just now and can't give me any.

Therefore I'm going to have to let her sit on those golf balls until the weather warms back up next week and try the cold water bath thing.

No really good options for this. *sigh*

 

[Weeg]

Update:

Cordon is still faithfully attempting to hatch her golf balls.

It would be possible to use the aforementioned dog pen and some scrap metal siding to make her a broody coop with a ground nest (within the electric netting), but I can't figure out how to use it to make a broody jail -- the structure just isn't solid enough.

My friend with the rooster is having an egg supply crisis just now and can't give me any.

Therefore I'm going to have to let her sit on those golf balls until the weather warms back up next week and try the cold water bath thing.

No really good options for this. *sigh*

Are there any more farmers in your area willing to give you eggs? You can always try grocery store eggs to.....
Sometimes those hatch.

 

[Weeg]

Even a BYC member or farmer in the state willing to ship eggs could do. I ordered eggs from a BYC member in Wa, and got them the next day.

 

[3KillerBs]

Even a BYC member or farmer in the state willing to ship eggs could do. I ordered eggs from a BYC member in Wa, and got them the next day.

I am taking the unexpected unavailability of eggs I had thought were available as a sign that this is the wrong time to hatch.