How long before deciding she's broody?

[dantodd]

I may have made a mistake a couple days ago. I already had 3 eggs for the day (I only have 3 layers right now) and I went out a little before dusk to close the nesting box. They sleep in the box if I don't close it at night. Well, my RIR (for a commercial hatchery) was in the box so I booted her. I was "greeted" by a shell-less egg under the roost yesterday so maybe she was going to lay twice in a day, I'm not sure. She's been laying for about a month.

This morning I went to check for eggs and when I opened the box she was in there again, this time she hissed at me pretty good. So I closed the box without checking for eggs etc. About an hour later I went out and she was still in there so I fished 2 eggs out from under her, one looks like a double yolker and the other a normal pullet egg. I'm not sure which is hers and which is from the Delaware. She let me take the eggs with no problem but then started hissing again as I closed the box. She's still in there and that was about 15 minutes ago.

Is "a few hours" too soon to start taking action? She looks like she has no intention of moving.

 

[dantodd]

Whoops, maybe she just needed a little rest after laying a double yolker (2.7 oz.) because once I pulled her from the box she went right about her business and has done so for the last hour and a half without returning to the box. Sitting on the nest she was also bothering one of my EE's who just gave us her first egg as soon as I kicked the RIR out of the box. (5 chickens, 2 boxes but they're connected and of course the EE wanted the Red's box.)

 

[Happy Chooks]

RIR aren't a broody breed, but it can happen. When they are truly broody, they will quit laying and hunker down to a pancake look. I don't give my broodies anything but the wooden egg I keep in the nest until they have been on the nest for 2 nights. (instead of roosting)

 

[dantodd]

She's at it again, been sitting on the nest for about an hour again. I think I'll wait until she's on for 2 hours then toss her out. This could get really old.

 

[elmo]

If you don't want her to go broody, do collect eggs frequently and kick her out of the nestbox repeatedly right now, to try to nip it in the bud.

It's a different matter when you're wanting a hen to go broody. Usually they say to wait until a hen has stayed on the nest overnight before you slip hatching eggs under her.

 

[dantodd]

thanks Elmo. I really don't want a broody bird, I want eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Then kick her out of the nest now, before she gets really hormonal - it will be 10X harder to break her later.

 

[dantodd]

Quote:
Then kick her out of the nest now, before she gets really hormonal - it will be 10X harder to break her later.

She's out. Same as last time, it was hard to chase her away from the coop even after getting her out of the nest but once back in the yard she is hanging out with the rest of the flock just fine. I worry about kicking her out when she goes in to lay as I REALLY don't want anyone laying outside the nests. I think I'll put her on a half hour timer, first time I see her in the nest I'll set the timer and kick her out after 1/2 an hour. Is that too short?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'd leave her in there until she lays her egg. But if she's done and just sitting on it, kick her butt out.