Is Betty broody?

[kannna]

She's been sitting in the nest box since yesterday afternoon. She was there this morning and when I got home after work. My DH says he saw her take a break at some point during the day. She's layed out flat and won't budge.

Warning there is also a mighty fierce stinkeye going on.

 

[gritsar]

*Ding! Ding! Ding!* Congrats you are the winner of a mighty ticked off broody.

 

[kla37]

I have had one like that for a month!!! I take her off the nest once a day so she'll eat but she is still broody. HOW much longer???

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
You have basically two choices - break her broodiness or get her some eggs to hatch. Even getting up to eat once a day they are not consuming near enough calories and they can broody themselves to death. Broodiness is awful hard on their bodies.

Another thing you might try, if you want chicks - I have a hen that is broody for the second time in 3 1/2 months, hatched 3 last time. She's due to hatch tomorrow, but checking the eggs I found that only one has a chance of hatching and it's iffy. She's looking kinda rough, too much broodiness in too short a period of time. I made the hour long trip to a feed store that sells chicks today. She's now a happy little lamb, mothering her store bought chicks and waiting for that egg to hatch. I'll give it till Friday before I remove the egg. So store bought chicks are an option, but only if you are prepared to raise them yourself if mama isn't willing. With this particular broody I knew she'd take to the chicks. She'd mother a rock. Being as how your hen has been waiting so long, she may be willing as well.

 

[zippitydooda]

Quote:
HOW do you break her broodiness? And if they are sitting on infertile eggs (no roo), will she starve herself? I have removed the eggs from under her and she still sits in the box.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
HOW do you break her broodiness? And if they are sitting on infertile eggs (no roo), will she starve herself? I have removed the eggs from under her and she still sits in the box.

To put it bluntly, you need to cool her butt off to break the broody spell. Try putting her in a crate, preferably one with good air circulation around the bottom, so it cools her butt. Give her food and water, but absolutely nothing she can make a nest out of; not even pine shavings. Give it a few days.

If you can't manage the breaking crate, at the very least take her off the nest every time you catch her on it. Make her go outside, get some fresh air. Yes, they can starve themselves to death.

 

[sheila3935]

Is she a BA? I have a BA named Betty.

My other BA Patooty went broody and hatched 7. You could go to the feed store and get her some babies or get her some fertile eggs. I dont think I could have broke Patooty, she was determined. She looked like a chicken blanket with a head sticking out.

 

[kannna]

Thank you for the confirmation.

She's a Langshan Sussex mix. Very sweet. I may get her some eggs. There is the small problem that I already have chicks in the basement brooder. But they are 3 weeks old already. From what I have read she wouldn't adopt them. hmm....chicken math.

 

[Luvs chickens]

I have put mine in a wire bottom cage for a few days sometimes it takes a week to break the broody.