My hen is sitting on a golf ball!

[seminolewind]

I have golf balls in the nests, and my JG decided to collect them all and brood. If I take them out and scatter them, she brings them all back , can't figure out how, but she does. I took all the golf balls out the other night, and in the morning, she was hatching a little bowl!

 

[cmom]

I put golf balls in my nest boxes too. I started to hide them and when I went out to collect the eggs, the balls were in with the eggs.

 

[Maryallison77]

So now I have taken the golf balls out and my silly Jackie still just sits in that nesbox morning noon and night! Here she is!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

If you don't want her to brood, put her in a wire-bottomed cage set up on saw horses or something so she gets cool air up under her. Give her food & water in there for 3 or more days. Watch her when you let her out, if she continues to act broody, put her back for a few more days.

I have a salvaged parrot cage on a stand that is used as our Broody Buster.

You could also set fertile eggs under her and let her hatch them. It's a lot of fun to watch a mama hen raise a brood of chicks. Some folks buy purebred eggs through the mail, you could also check to see if someone in your area has a roo with their hens. Mixed breed chickens are as good as purebreds except you can't show them. Otherwise, they're beautiful, healthy, good layers, and tasty.

 

[Maryallison77]

Hmmm, thanks for the cage tip there. Just might try it and see if Jackie snaps out of her sitting. Now I even have to push her outta the nestbox when I feed everyone or she won't eat! And this is so funny! For some reason this is everyones favorite nestbox and the other hens will go and sit in the box with her and lay eggs!

 

[seminolewind]

Mine has been brooding golf balls for 6 weeks now. When I take them out, she still sits. I guess I need to lock her out of the coop, or put her in a pen by herself.

 

[Maryallison77]

Yeah, I still did not take Jackie out of the coop. It is just kinda funny that she sits there morning noon and night! I even thought about buying her a baby! There is a member of BYC that is close to me and I thought about asking for some fertilized eggs.

 

[ears73]

I was just wondering when to take out the golf balls. I put some in our nest boxes also and since mostly all of our hens are laying they should know what to do now, right?

I guess I should take them out because of any of them decide to sit it is not a good season for it.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
JACKIE is broody .... PUT her some fertilized eggs under her and in 21 days and she will have chicks . Best thing is to remove her , the nest and the fertilized eggs and put her in a separate cage from the rest of the flock . JUST make sure like twice a day you lift her off the eggs so she does eat and drink . NOW My broody would just nibble and take a couple of sips of water and jump right back in the nest .... and YES , they do grawl and SQUAK and anything else they can think of doing , thats normal , they DO NOT want to me moved from the nest.

and NO , you DO NOT have to remove your golfballs from the nests .... After she is finished her broody cycle , SOMETIMES it can take her 2 months before she starts laying again.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
I have to disagree with that. I think you can trust a broody hen to take care of her own needs as well as those of her eggs. She will time her own breaks according to the outside temperature. On warmer days she knows she can stay out longer, on colder days she may barely budge. She won't be expending much energy so she won't need to eat/drink as much, and she'll hold her poop until she takes her break, then dump out an enormous one!

I wouldn't purposely disrupt a broody's concentration and pull her off her nest to make her eat/drink. Just have food/water available, and a little space for her to poop.