I have one year old chickens and one of them (our Buff Orpington) is staying in the nesting box, acting like she wants to incubate eggs, however, we have no rooster. Should I allow her to stay in there indefinitely or shoo her out? I am thinking it is instinctual behavior, I just don't want her to think that something will happen. Opinions?
Nesting behavior with a chicken without a rooster
- Thread starter Dr. Caz
- Start date
Hens do not need the presence of a rooster to go broody. You could always get her some fertile eggs or foster chicks under her after a couple of weeks of setting.
If you don't want her to hatch eggs, break her broodiness. Otherwise she will sit forever and could starve herself to death.
There are many ways to break broodiness. Of the methods is to remove her the nest and block off the nest after everyone is done laying for the day. Try to keep her off the nest.
There are many ways to break broodiness. Of the methods is to remove her the nest and block off the nest after everyone is done laying for the day. Try to keep her off the nest.
If you don't want her to hatch chicks, you can also put her in a wire cage with food and water, until she stops showing interest in sitting on the nest. It'll take an average of 3 days. It might seem cruel, but it's better for her health to break the behavior instead of letting it drag on for weeks as she will not eat, drink or move around as much while she's trying to brood.
Welcome to BYC!
It's mostly hormone driven, some birds will never go broody, some wont' stop.
Agrees, if you don't want her to hatch break her right away.
It can take longer the longer you wait.
You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread
If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.
I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
It's mostly hormone driven, some birds will never go broody, some wont' stop.
Agrees, if you don't want her to hatch break her right away.
It can take longer the longer you wait.
You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread
If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.
I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
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