Novogen Browns gone BROODY?!

[britt_brat]

Hi y'all, I have a mix flock of 13 chickens, I have a Buff Orpington rooster, a Silkie, a RIR, and the other 10 are a mix of novogen browns and golden comets. It appears that 2 of the novogens or golden comets have gone BROODY, is this possible? I know they are not laying, as all of my hens are consistent layers by mid morning, with a few laying in the early afternoon, usually before 4 pm. For the last 3 days, these 2 have been in and out of the nesting boxes, and have been laying on top of the eggs at 6 pm when I go out to collect. They have never done this before!!!! Should I mark a few eggs and leave them in the nest for a bit? I'm not really wanting any more chicks at the moment, as I currently have 2 golden laced wyandottes in a brooder in the bathroom. Could the little peeps from them (I left them outside while I got the brooder set up) have triggered something in my hens?

 

[sourland]

Yes it is possible. I have had white leghorns go broody.

 

[ChickNanny13]

How old are the Novogens? Are they in the nest all day?
Doubt the brooder peeping set the pullets off. It's possible they're sleeping in the nest box? If you don't want anymore chicks, collect the eggs daily ... From your laying schedule I'd say collect 2x day, early afternoon and evening.

 

[britt_brat]

How old are the Novogens? Are they in the nest all day?
Doubt the brooder peeping set the pullets off. It's possible they're sleeping in the nest box? If you don't want anymore chicks, collect the eggs daily ... From your laying schedule I'd say collect 2x day, early afternoon and evening.

They are just over a year old. They fluffed their feathers when I went out to collect, and then got the fake egg back under them after I got the real eggs. One of them even managed to get the fake egg from another nest box

 

[ChickNanny13]

Are you sure they're not laying ... I looked the breed up, according to the info they start laying at about 20wks .... https://www.novogen-layer.com/about-us/welcome-to-novogen/

 

[britt_brat]

Are you sure they're not laying ... I looked the breed up, according to the info they start laying at about 20wks .... https://www.novogen-layer.com/about-us/welcome-to-novogen/

Yes, they've been laying since September.
All 12 of the hens lay by 4 pm daily. I'll keep an eye on them throughout the next few days. If I have enough eggs in the next day or 2 (family and friends been taking excess eggs) I'll leave a few in the nest boxes and see what happens

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any breed of chicken can possibly go broody, just more likely with some, like Silkies, and less likely with others, like most sex-linked.

 

[aart]

If I have enough eggs in the next day or 2 (family and friends been taking excess eggs) I'll leave a few in the nest boxes and see what happens

Fake eggs would be better.
If you want her to hatch, now would be good time to look at yolks when you open eggs to eat, make sure your boy is getting the job done.
Then start saving some aside.


These are my go to signs of a broody bird.
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.



When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

 

[Lilalienangel]

Could the little peeps from them (I left them outside while I got the brooder set up) have triggered something in my hens?
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for bringing that up. I put my incubator hatched chicks in a coop/run on the side of my flock and literally all but 2 of my hens went broody. Good to know that can effect a hen..