Rachel'sFlock :
Trying an experiment, now, in the "off broody" season.
I have a small area under the nesting boxes wired off from the rest of the coop. I kept the babies in there until they were large enough to mingle with the year-olds. The door is rolled up so it is open at the moment.
No one has ever layed eggs in this area, but it has been a quiet, secluded spot from Day One. I have seen evidence of the new pullets rounding up some straw, but no eggs.
My broody always goes broody in her fave nesting box, but I am wondering if I can lure her to go broody in a more ideal location (on the floor, not 2 feet off the ground in a nesting box). I have placed a large cardboard box on it's side, with nesting straw and golf balls in one end, facing out. This leaves loads of room for a broody and babies to have a safe place to live, once they arrive.
She goes broody about every 4-6 weeks (maddening at best, with no fertile eggs) and has just begun laying again since last round.
I would love it if she would brood on her own in this new location, but even if she goes broody in her normal box, I now have somewhere to stash her, the golf balls, and later, precious fertile eggs. I can also close her in to he area, so she cannot return to the fave nesting box.
I have always broken her in a rabbit cage with wire bottom, and considered trying to move her into it, with a nest box, but don't want to confuse "this is where I go NOT broody" with a place to hatch chicks.
AliceAnn is a sucker for golfballs, so I am hoping she sniffs them out, and decides to like the new digs...
Have no idea what will happen here, but am trying to remain prepared as best I can for my next round of broody!
Has anyone else attempted to "create" a broody environment with any success?
Thanks, in advance!
Hi Rachel!
I've loved reading your chicken tales and am curious to hear the answers to this question. My last broody hatched in the favorite box. I painstakingly convinced the rest of the girls that another box is better. Now I have a broody in "the other box"!
Lacey had been sitting since Wednesday. She's my second sex-link to go broody this summer. So much for "rarely broody". I just got back from my favorite local breeder. I went to get 12 black copper marans eggs and she sent me home with 18! Poor Lacey is bursting at the seams!
I know with the heat we've had recently, there will be plenty of duds. I'm just hoping she does okay until day 7 or 8 when I can sort them out. These dark eggs are so hard to candle early!
Trying an experiment, now, in the "off broody" season.
I have a small area under the nesting boxes wired off from the rest of the coop. I kept the babies in there until they were large enough to mingle with the year-olds. The door is rolled up so it is open at the moment.
No one has ever layed eggs in this area, but it has been a quiet, secluded spot from Day One. I have seen evidence of the new pullets rounding up some straw, but no eggs.
My broody always goes broody in her fave nesting box, but I am wondering if I can lure her to go broody in a more ideal location (on the floor, not 2 feet off the ground in a nesting box). I have placed a large cardboard box on it's side, with nesting straw and golf balls in one end, facing out. This leaves loads of room for a broody and babies to have a safe place to live, once they arrive.
She goes broody about every 4-6 weeks (maddening at best, with no fertile eggs) and has just begun laying again since last round.
I would love it if she would brood on her own in this new location, but even if she goes broody in her normal box, I now have somewhere to stash her, the golf balls, and later, precious fertile eggs. I can also close her in to he area, so she cannot return to the fave nesting box.
I have always broken her in a rabbit cage with wire bottom, and considered trying to move her into it, with a nest box, but don't want to confuse "this is where I go NOT broody" with a place to hatch chicks.
AliceAnn is a sucker for golfballs, so I am hoping she sniffs them out, and decides to like the new digs...
Have no idea what will happen here, but am trying to remain prepared as best I can for my next round of broody!
Has anyone else attempted to "create" a broody environment with any success?
Thanks, in advance!
Hi Rachel!
I've loved reading your chicken tales and am curious to hear the answers to this question. My last broody hatched in the favorite box. I painstakingly convinced the rest of the girls that another box is better. Now I have a broody in "the other box"!
Lacey had been sitting since Wednesday. She's my second sex-link to go broody this summer. So much for "rarely broody". I just got back from my favorite local breeder. I went to get 12 black copper marans eggs and she sent me home with 18! Poor Lacey is bursting at the seams!
I know with the heat we've had recently, there will be plenty of duds. I'm just hoping she does okay until day 7 or 8 when I can sort them out. These dark eggs are so hard to candle early!
