how do i keep my broody, broody?

[rosyposyosy]

My Fajita has been broody once before. At the time, I broke her by forcing her outside in the rain. This time, I want to have her hatch eggs, and she gets of the nest. It is so weird. She slept on top of the nesting boxes yesterday, and not on the nest. But she screams, and tucks eggs under her. but then, she gets up after 12 hours, and lays an egg, gets off, moves around, never gets back on, until I put her in her nest, and cover it with a towel. That gets her back broody. Should I seperate her in like a dog crate or something, so that she is required to stay broody?

 

[silkiechicken]

If she gets up and wants to leave, and only stays while covered, I don't really think she is broody. Just gotta wait till she really is.

 

[rosyposyosy]

oh - she's broody. trust me.

 

[rosyposyosy]

ok..she's an off and on broody. I'm off to make an incubator. My eggs come this week. If she is broody by the time the eggs come, she'll hatch 3, and I'll hatch 3.

 

[lurky]

I think they do that in the beginning while collecting the eggs, and i think she will commit to staying on the eggs when she is ready....if she is in fact broody. I think they can collect for a while before they glue themselves to the nest. But i am saying most of this from what i hear....i am no expert.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Try putting fake eggs under her...wooden, plastic or golf balls so she will set...then if she really is just change the eggs for real under her...

 

[rosyposyosy]

she had fake eggs under her, and she would happily take more, but she gets off the nest and just doesnt go back. I am going to the store to get supplies to make an incubator, since I already ordered the eggs. I would love it if these were just test drives and tommorow she just went full on broody lol. She is now wondering the yard. It's fine, I think I would rather hatch them myself anyways, I just don't have enough time throughout the day to turn them 3 times. I can do it 2 times, but deffinately not three, unless I wake up at like midnight and turn them. Maybe this should've been under incubating and hatching....

 

[silkiechicken]

When a hen is going to lay eggs, she will roll all eggs under her and be in a temp broody state. But if she gets up and leaves like normal within a few hours, she was just egg laying. Best get on that bator making. When I first did eggs in middle school, I turned eggs when I woke up, once when I got home from school, and once before bed.

 

[rosyposyosy]

this thread, will now continue here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=28865