I have a broody BR, Ruth. she's been been broody for over 12 weeks now and in the beginning I tried to break her of it. My BO had hatched out 7 in mid-May and 5 were roosters and my MM order came in for 26 (plus a Polish roo) pullets so I really didn't need any more. I tried everything posted here for about 9 weeks and she still would not give up. So I gave her 2 marked eggs to sit on Aug. 7th. I'm convinced that she is not right in her little chicken head because right from the start she forgets which nest is hers and I find her eggs cold a few times over the next several weeks.
Well, today I must have just ran out of patience. I go in to collect the eggs and there she is, 2 nest boxes over and her eggs are cold so I think "well, this is it, they're dead". So I'm POed to the max (I had a bad day so I wasn't in a good mood to begin with). I take her off the nest, toss her outside with the others and take the 2 cold eggs and chuck them into the woods. One goes deep into the woods and hits a tree. The other flies a little wide and hits a closer tree. It looks weird so I go over and THE CHICK IS MOVING. At least in my mind it seems like it. I pick it up and it's cold but I think it moved a little. The level of development indicated that the chick would probably have hatched in a few days.
Please don't beat me up over this. I feel so sick and miserable and I just don't know what to do. She's back in the nest box. She is thin and her comb has become shriveled and pale. I'm convinced she will kill herself if she doesn't have a chick or two. Should I start over again? Her musical nesting habits drive me nuts and I don't have room to isolate her. TSC had some chicks last weekend but they sold them in lots of 6...I thought about it but wanted to give her a chance to do it herself.
The thought of her on that nest for another 3 weeks just kills me. What can I do for her????
I'm so heartbroken over those 2 chicks.
Last edited:
