my little wild banty is going broody.

[mcostas]

They started laying this month (my 2 hens). The little banty was captured and giving to me and was rather wild. she is an egg laying machine though! Both my girls lay good eggs, I didn't think the banty eggs would be practical but they are very nice eggs! You get a better yolk ratio, and the yolks are just a little more flourescent.


I left a golf ball in the nest box cause I didn't think my dark brahma hen would know to lay in the box, she doesn't seem to be as smart as the banty. A couple nights ago zoey the banty went into the nest box and did not come out to roost. Later that night I went to collect the eggs and zoey was still in there! I had to wait till the next day, she seemed to be sitting on buffys egg.

Yesterday zoey came out in the afternoon but went back in later and never came out! We were going to have a storm so we covered the coop so rain wouldn't come into the windows. Normally timid zoey stayed glued to the nest.

She was still there this morning when I went out to let buffy out. I opened the nest box and there she was. I left her be for a while longer then went back and attempted to retrieve an egg. She puffed up, spread her tail, and made all kinds of odd noises! It was heartbreaking! I want eggs though so I sort of picked her up and shifted her to the side, there was no egg, but the golf ball was still there so I removed it. She never pecked that whole episode!

She finally came out for snacks. Is she going to stop laying delicious mini eggs? Is there something else I should do besides taking the golf ball out?

 

[Judy]

If she's really gone broody, taking the golf ball out is not likely to stop her, as they will sit on nothing.

This is the time to run to the feed store and get some chicks and slip them under her! (assuming you don't have a roo.) Once they have set just afew days they will usually accept chicks.

If you really don't want more chickens, and have a wire cage, you can try putting her in there for a few days and see if it will break the broodiness. Give her food and water, and prop it up so air flows under her. No nesting material, just wire. Or you can just let her sit on nothing til she gets tired of it. You can also try taking her out of the nest, preferably several times a day, and placing or "chasing" her out of the coop til she starts eating and pecking around. Most of the time this last method has worked for me, though sometimes it takes a few days.

Yes, they stop laying eggs when they are broody.

 

[bethandjoeync]

when you shoo her out of the nest, mess it up.

honestly, watching a momma hen with her little babies, is so wonderful. if you can stand to have a few more cluckers, I say head to feed store and get 2 or 3 little fuzzies!

good luck!

 

[mcostas]

I don't have room for any more chickies! I have another hen, a dark brahma, and 6 chicks that are almost a month old. My other hen will peck at the chicks if she can. She goes up to their pen a lot and struts around. The little chickies watch her.

We came home late tonight and zoey was glued to the nest. I pryed an egg out from under her, her own egg. She fluffed and made a primative squeel when I moved her to the side to get her egg, it was so warm!

I will try to encourage her to come out, maybe lift her out, of the nest box. I don't want to frighten her or make her hate me! I don't want her to start hiding her eggs either. Earlier when buffy laid, zoey was sitting on it, squaking, but not pecking, when I attempt to remove an egg.

I know some people that would take hens, I might could raise some for someone else, but I'll bet the chicks are all old at the feed store. I don't have another pen to segragate her either.