I have one cochin who has just hatched a brood, and now three are determined to have babies too! I tried taking them off the nest but they are not having anything to do with that, they just jump straight back on. I am realising that I have my lights on too long in the coop! I had not counted on the standard cochins being SO broody! My main problem is that I do not have anywhere to set these guys up with their own little broody area. I have put a few bantie eggs in the incubator to put under them once I figure out what on earth to do with them. I can see that I am going to have to scale way back on the number of cochin ladies I have! THey are very determined broodies - great momma's too... now what? Are they likely to just stay broody forever and die if I don't give them eggs? Do you ever have a few broodies together in an area? They are all due to hatch on the same day...
Too much light, corn, and scratch will make your hens " heat up" and want to go broody. Put them in a wire bottom cage...no bedding...just food and water. For a few days...cut back the treats and give them ONLY layer pellets. ( or crumbles) This will take a few days, maybe a week. Good luck. I know the broody mommas can be very determined. My Buff Orps do this to me ALOT!
Godiva, I feel ya! I have a half a dozen broodies myself. They drove me nuts until I built a broody jail. It's just a wire cage with a roost in it, and a place for food and water. The quickest way I've found to break them of it. Naughty hens go to Broody Jail. Also, I've had two broodies hatch at the same time. They raised the chicks together. There was no problem for me. They had lots of room, though.
I can see a broody jail is the way to go. Up to this point I have always let them go and just put a few eggs under them. But I really don't have anymore room right now, in fact tomorrow I am going to have to go with DH and do some serious culling of excess roos 'cos I don't ahve anywhere to grow them out! Talk about having to learn about flock management... guess we are doing it the hard way. We usually like to eat the excess roos but we have got in over our heads with the broodies and I have chicks coming out of my ears!!! I am learning to be more selective as to what we hatch out and also I really appreciate the tip about the scratch, corn and light! I think that is exactly what is going on! What would you recommend for the number of hours of light? I think they are getting 14 1/2 hours a day now ( I have cut back 1/2 hour over the last few days) I still want them to lay so I don't want to cut back too drastically...
Quote:Good news for me I got 13 buff orp Pullets, because I want baby chicks,but I hope they don,t go broody all at one time when they get old ,then I will be in real trouble with my wife.
