I mean, if eggs never get a chance to collect in a box, cuz it is a roll-away type, how can i expect a b o hen to go broody? One may suggest, "Oh just keep one regular nest box around and hope like heck that the bird you want to go broody uses it." Well, if i did that, who knows if she will use it at all; PLUS others may become egg eaters, OR they may lose the habit of laying in the 'less comfy' rollaways. I suppose i could separate her with another b o and try to get her to go broody (without becoming an egg eater in the process) by keeping only a regular nest box in that coop.............. I'm sorry i am having some trouble expressing my question.............. But again, i use rollaways (or WILL), and i keep all birds in the SAME coop, so how can i expect to get a broody--anyone been there done that??
Egg eaters do occur, but they are rare. I wouldn't avoid having a normal nest box just because you're worried about an egg eater. There was also a thread on here a while ago about someone "forcing" a hen to be come broody by putting her in a small box with a nest and eggs - she almost had no choice but to become broody. Not sure how humane that is though...
You don't have to have a nest of eggs to have a broody. Hens will go broody when they want to. Some hens may go broody when there is a nest of eggs though.
I keep all my chickens in one coop. I use large cat litter covered boxes for nests that sit on the floor. Occasionally I get an egg eaten and sometimes one with pecked hole. It is not that big of a deal as you make it out to be. If haveing a broody is really important you need to have nest boxes that will hold eggs and that are big enough. Not too mention a breed really known for broodieness. Some breeds can go broody but if hatchery most likly will not. BO's 1 out of 100 might do it. There is no quarentee.
thanks. i had one small flock of seven, all of which became egg eaters--of course, they are gone! that was when i went into ducks, which do nothing of the sort. their bills make it impossible, basically. but now returning to chooks alone, and don't plan on having over 20 birds learn egg eating! some b o are obsessively broody, some aren't. we shall see. but they are about the best bet out of all the standard-sized, non feather-legged breeds. there are also Aussies. maybe i'd go with them. but alot of times they don't go broody.........
Maybe you could put cardboard in the roll away nest after one goes broody so the other chickens won't even see the eggs
Last year I had broodies everywhere! I didn't matter if they had eggs or not. They just hunkered down in the nest boxes & growled. The problem I noticed in not isolating them from the other chickens when they go broody was they wouldn't stay in the same nest box. The other hens would stand at the nest box & bother them until they got out, so they would just move into another or she would stay in one nest but other hens would keep adding eggs so they were all in different stages of development which is not a good idea. When I would let one set, I would isolate her in her own nestbox in a cage by herself with her own food & water. That way the other hens wouldn't bother her & all the eggs developed at the same rate. Good Luck
Some broody hens will sit on NOTHING. They don't need eggs under 'em. If you get one of those, she won't leave the nest box to roost at night, but OWN that nest box.
