So, my andalusian hen has gone broody again. Second time this year, and it's rather annoying for me as it completely changes her personality and standing in the pecking order and makes re-integration a pain in the you know what, and she is one of my best layers, etc....
My silkie went broody for the third time this year on the same day but I know there is basically no breaking a silkie, so she is sitting on 7 eggs.
Back to the Andalusian: Dear Beatrix is now in the "broody buster" cage. AKA: rabbit hutch with wire floor and no nesting material. The only things she has with her are food and water. She is no longer "sitting" at all...she paces, cluck clucks like a mother hen, and occasionally puffs up at me but no sitting. So, this evening makes day 3 of the "broody busting" and when I reached in to change her water and pet her, she "squatted" for me... she does it a lot when not broody. No big deal, but how do I know that she is truly done being broody and not fooling me into putting her back in the main coop? I don't want to put her with her friends and find her back in the nest box...is there a set time that it usually takes to "break" a broody??
My silkie went broody for the third time this year on the same day but I know there is basically no breaking a silkie, so she is sitting on 7 eggs.
Back to the Andalusian: Dear Beatrix is now in the "broody buster" cage. AKA: rabbit hutch with wire floor and no nesting material. The only things she has with her are food and water. She is no longer "sitting" at all...she paces, cluck clucks like a mother hen, and occasionally puffs up at me but no sitting. So, this evening makes day 3 of the "broody busting" and when I reached in to change her water and pet her, she "squatted" for me... she does it a lot when not broody. No big deal, but how do I know that she is truly done being broody and not fooling me into putting her back in the main coop? I don't want to put her with her friends and find her back in the nest box...is there a set time that it usually takes to "break" a broody??
