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Oops, I spoke too soon. And set eggs too soon. This hen went to bed puffed out nicely over 4 eggs, but was off the nest & fussing to be let out of her enclosure this morning. I put her back in her pen and she didn't rush to go into the nest boxes. Next time I'll ease a hen into the job more gradually.
My theory is that since so many of our modern egg-laying breeds have had their broody instincts selectively bred out of them, that the ones that still do retain those instincts often do a less than perfect job. I've had some superior broodies who would set anywhere on anything, tend their chicks with intense devotion, and stay with them for up to 10 weeks before going back to their flock. But others need more persuasion to stick with their clutch, are more careless in watching over their chicks, and leave them after 4-5 weeks.
I have lots of mixed-breed bantam hens, many of them the daughters of my original Super Broody hen (who, sadly, was killed defending her chicks) who seem to take turns going broody. With the next one, I'll (1) make sure she will set for 24 hours in the communal nest boxes, then (2) try to move her in the nest box after dark the next day (I use flat-sided plastic horse buckets, I can move them all together with the hen, straw & eggs inside) and make sure she'll set in the new secluded location on fake eggs for 24 hours. Only then will I (3) swap the fake eggs with the eggs I want her to brood, again doing it after dark.
Oops, I spoke too soon. And set eggs too soon. This hen went to bed puffed out nicely over 4 eggs, but was off the nest & fussing to be let out of her enclosure this morning. I put her back in her pen and she didn't rush to go into the nest boxes. Next time I'll ease a hen into the job more gradually.
My theory is that since so many of our modern egg-laying breeds have had their broody instincts selectively bred out of them, that the ones that still do retain those instincts often do a less than perfect job. I've had some superior broodies who would set anywhere on anything, tend their chicks with intense devotion, and stay with them for up to 10 weeks before going back to their flock. But others need more persuasion to stick with their clutch, are more careless in watching over their chicks, and leave them after 4-5 weeks.
I have lots of mixed-breed bantam hens, many of them the daughters of my original Super Broody hen (who, sadly, was killed defending her chicks) who seem to take turns going broody. With the next one, I'll (1) make sure she will set for 24 hours in the communal nest boxes, then (2) try to move her in the nest box after dark the next day (I use flat-sided plastic horse buckets, I can move them all together with the hen, straw & eggs inside) and make sure she'll set in the new secluded location on fake eggs for 24 hours. Only then will I (3) swap the fake eggs with the eggs I want her to brood, again doing it after dark.
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