Oh I have wanted this and know it is a pain in my behind!

[AnniesEggFarm]

I set out this year to get some broody hens, so far I have one black silkie. She is probably 6ish months old and TINY. She is a VERY determined broody hen as long as she is in the regular hen house in the main laying box (the hens fave), won't eat, drink move

collects every egg that my very large brood of hens lay.... Yippie just want I wanted.... But she is so tiny and determined that the large hens will literally sit on her to lay eggs, she has become just another part of the laying box

.... So I VERY CAREFULLY moved her to her own private suite, box and all this past Friday. She jumped up right away pooped A TON

and ate like a pig and walked around, ok fine whatever, she felt safe without the big girls around.... next morning she had kicked out all but 2 of her eggs, we put them back under her multiple times, nothing

, I gave up and cracked them open, every one of them viable

.... So she continued to very poorly set on her last two eggs, but most of the time she was hopping around her suite partying it up

!!!!

!!! So, I kicked her butt out back with the rest of the flock -> -> -> -> -> within a few hours she was back in the main henhouse gathering every egg in sight, sitting like a champ while my large ladies laid eggs on top of her!!!
What am I going to do....

..... I want her to be broody, but don't feel that this is a very healthy way to be broody....

Jenn

 

[onthespot]

You could put a wire door across her nest box that she usually uses and just cut a small hole big enough for only her to go in and out so the big hens can't go in there and set on her.

 

[AnniesEggFarm]

Anyone else have any ideas???

Jenn

 

[goldenluver]

maybe build a comunal nesting box,one that can house four hens at once. I've heard others say it works for those that argue over one box and not use any of the other boxes.

 

[danischi24]

Put a plastic box (the one with lots of slits in it) over her in the nest box with food & water in it.