So longer story shorter. I have a hen that I wanted to hatch her eggs. I tried with no luck so trimmed butt feathers on my roo and her (and a couple others that needed to be cleaned up) and was going to start collecting her eggs after a couple days to give the trimming time to work.. Well after laying 3 eggs she went broody..... So I ordered eggs on ebay that should have been the breed I wanted and set some in the incubator since I was planning on using that to start with, and some under her. Well 2 of hers weren't fertilized and the last one laid was but quit around day 10. The shipped ones were a bit beaten up. 4/12 were broken. 4 never did anything, 1 quit around day 7. 2 hatched and 1 never made it to external pip but had absorbed all the yolk and veins were receeded but it was DIS. Well the 2 that hatched were NOT the breed I ordered......... UGH! The chicks will be 2 weeks old tomorrow...... (mama was broody for about 4 weeks before they hatched so no eggs from her for almost 6 weeks now.
Well this weekend we were camping and I noticed one hen stayed in the nest box I think Fri night....... Oh boy another broody. She has been in the nest box since (well she has switched a few times since someone will come in to lay when she is out or she just goes to the wrong box. I have tried to kick her out today but she has run right back with in a few min. Tonight I went out and put her on the roost when it was dark figuring she would at least stay. NOPE! She jumped down after I left and went back to the nest box....... Thankfully she is nice and while she makes some noise she is quiet and doesn't peck me when I touch her or look for eggs under her to remove them.
Well today ANOTHER chicken started being broody! That one did lay today but guessing that was already in the works. This one is NOT a pleasant broody! She growls, makes all types of noises and tries to peck me! I managed to get her out of the box today but yup she also went right back.
Now the funny thing. I have 12 chicks that are 5 weeks old. the have a brooder in the coop and have been in there since they were a week old. I let them out with the big ones about a week ago. Well after the first couple nights one of them started sleeping with the mama and her chicks which I find funny since she will peck them during the day if they are close to her chicks. Well tonight the other 11 chicks are in the nest box with the mean broody!!!!!!!!! some almost under her, some behind her, some in front of her. some laying their heads on her back. LOL She normally wants NOTHING to do with them. I find it funny they will let them sleep with them but want nothing to do with them during the day.
Now I need to figure out what I am doing with my 2 broodies........ I don't have a dog crate never mind 2 that I can put them in to break them....... the ONE hen that I want to hatch her eggs is not laying yet since her chicks are only 2 weeks old....... I don't trust ebay to buy more eggs after getting the wrong breed last time.
If I let them stay broody and give them fake eggs will they give up after a few weeks or will they keep going? The one that hatched eggs a couple weeks ago was broody for about a week before I gave her fertilized eggs as I had to wait for them to ship and rest......
Well this weekend we were camping and I noticed one hen stayed in the nest box I think Fri night....... Oh boy another broody. She has been in the nest box since (well she has switched a few times since someone will come in to lay when she is out or she just goes to the wrong box. I have tried to kick her out today but she has run right back with in a few min. Tonight I went out and put her on the roost when it was dark figuring she would at least stay. NOPE! She jumped down after I left and went back to the nest box....... Thankfully she is nice and while she makes some noise she is quiet and doesn't peck me when I touch her or look for eggs under her to remove them.
Well today ANOTHER chicken started being broody! That one did lay today but guessing that was already in the works. This one is NOT a pleasant broody! She growls, makes all types of noises and tries to peck me! I managed to get her out of the box today but yup she also went right back.
Now the funny thing. I have 12 chicks that are 5 weeks old. the have a brooder in the coop and have been in there since they were a week old. I let them out with the big ones about a week ago. Well after the first couple nights one of them started sleeping with the mama and her chicks which I find funny since she will peck them during the day if they are close to her chicks. Well tonight the other 11 chicks are in the nest box with the mean broody!!!!!!!!! some almost under her, some behind her, some in front of her. some laying their heads on her back. LOL She normally wants NOTHING to do with them. I find it funny they will let them sleep with them but want nothing to do with them during the day.
Now I need to figure out what I am doing with my 2 broodies........ I don't have a dog crate never mind 2 that I can put them in to break them....... the ONE hen that I want to hatch her eggs is not laying yet since her chicks are only 2 weeks old....... I don't trust ebay to buy more eggs after getting the wrong breed last time.
If I let them stay broody and give them fake eggs will they give up after a few weeks or will they keep going? The one that hatched eggs a couple weeks ago was broody for about a week before I gave her fertilized eggs as I had to wait for them to ship and rest......
