Hen gone broody with no rooster!

[missychicky]

Is it normal for a hen to go broody even if we have no rooster? I'm almost certain we don't have one becuase we get seven eggs nearly every day. I don't want to take the eggs away from her because it just seems mean to me but also because she pecks my hand HARD every time I try. What do I do?

 

[ranchhand]

Get her some fertilized eggs to hatch?

I just sold a dozen green hatching eggs yesterday, to a lady with a broody hen and no rooster.

 

[jdellosso]

We don't have a rooster either, and one of my cochins is broody. Sounds like she'll be doing this often due to her breed. I'd take the eggs or they'll be wasted-she may sit there whether there are eggs or not, mine does. You can wear gloves or I have had luck with just talking to her and stroking her back until she relaxes a bit, then I remove her from the coop and lock her out. She makes the most forlorn noises wanting back in, but she's eating and not sitting all day. It's amazing how hot her little body is! Now I understand why people say to dunk them...

We don't have the room for more, but if you can, I'd let her hatch some fertilized ones, too!

 

[gryeyes]

Well, if there's no rooster, those eggs will go bad after a while. You really should take them away from her.

And, as ranchhand suggested, get her some fertilized eggs if you want to have chicks around.

None of my hens have gone broody, but if any of 'em do, I'm tempted to leave the eggs.... I do have a rooster.

 

[missychicky]

Ok, so if I do get eggs for her to hatch I still have a problem-I'm moving in two weeks. Perfect timing huh? The drive is only a couple hours long but I need to know how to move her without upsetting her and making her abandon her eggs. Will A ride in a car upset her to much? Should I forget about having her hatch them? Will it upset her at all?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
In that case I wouldn't get her any eggs. You can break her from being broody by putting her in a wire bottom cage with food/water but no nesting material. Put the cage up on blocks so that there is good air flow under it to cool her off, most hens will stop brooding in 1-3 days using this method. You could also get some day old chicks to put under her. I like doing this because I can buy pullets in the breed(s) I want and not have to deal with so many extra roos. If you do the day old chicks I'd wait another week and then slip them under her at night.

 

[deerman]

Moving her may break her, depends on the breed, some of mine I swear you could move them and they would set on a rock.

A hen lays and will set they don't know if eggs are fertile.. Unless she is a breed that the broody was bred out of them....

Leave a nest egg with her remove others, then after you move if she still sets on the egg after moving ,put fertile eggs under her.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
In that case I wouldn't get her any eggs. You can break her from being broody by putting her in a wire bottom cage with food/water but no nesting material. Put the cage up on blocks so that there is good air flow under it to cool her off, most hens will stop brooding in 1-3 days using this method. You could also get some day old chicks to put under her. I like doing this because I can buy pullets in the breed(s) I want and not have to deal with so many extra roos. If you do the day old chicks I'd wait another week and then slip them under her at night.

great idea do the day old chicks she will still care for them after the move also.

 

[missychicky]

She's a black austrolorp, is that a good breed for being broody? Also I have a free supply of fertilized eggs right now but won't after I move. Could I somehow take a few fertilized eggs with me while keeping them alive? If so, how long would they keep?

 

[deerman]

Hatching eggs keep for 10 days ,longer but hatch rate drops with everyday after 10.

Yes that is a brooding breed