One broody hen others not laying eggs

[cjpines]

I have 6 hens. One is broody and is in the favorite nesting box. We only get one or two eggs each day from the rest since she has become broody.

The others don't like her in their nest box which they usually all use. There has been no other changes in food, etc. Do you think this is the cause of less eggs? Or, maybe due to the long winter rains here in Northern Calif?

We're puzzled.

 

[Poultry parent]

If you move the broody hen egg production should go back up

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, I'm a little farther north and maybe even wetter than you... Probably your broody in the best box is creating some issue.

I would try to move the broody. Or it depends on her place in the flock. Some of my broody's get booted by the higher girls who lay in her nest and then go about their business.

So have you checked her nest for new eggs. I would also keep my eyes open for a new, possibly hidden nesting area.

Are you letting your broody hatch something or adopting feed store chicks to her? Otherwise I would employ the broody breaker and stop her from sitting as they lose body condition and become weaker from not eating and moving around to use their muscles. My broody's have shaky legs when I take them out for an extra jog back to the box.

 

[cjpines]

Thank you. The broody hen doesn't lay eggs and we are not letting her hatch. She is the oldest ( 3 yrs) and the queen of the flock, my favorite. She's an Australorp black named Inky. She's been broody 3 times now and none of the others have been broody.

We do make her come out and she will on her own also. I guess we'll just have to see what happens when she is over this broody time and see if the others pick up laying. Thank you again.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you. The broody hen doesn't lay eggs and we are not letting her hatch. She is the oldest ( 3 yrs) and the queen of the flock, my favorite. She's an Australorp black named Inky. She's been broody 3 times now and none of the others have been broody.

We do make her come out and she will on her own also. I guess we'll just have to see what happens when she is over this broody time and see if the others pick up laying. Thank you again.

My girls who go broody still sit on air in the nest for a month at which point I still have to employ the wire bottom cage and elevate it. And put it in a high flock traffic area. I don't wait that long anymore.

If you want to add some fresh pullets, I have adopted many a chick to a broody during the night. And honestly they just love raising the chicks. You can see the contentment come over them as the snuggle down on top of their babies.

And next fall when everybody molts, you will still be getting eggs.

Funny how some do and some don't go broody. I'm glad to have both especially among my different breeds because I hope for them to supply all chicks in the future. So far all my Silkies are brooding machines, in their own minds at least. And 1 of my Marans girls as well as 1 of my SFH girls this spring. Last fall my BO went broody, but not so far this year. She may actually be a fall broody... I know it's hormonal, so I guess it's up to nature.

 

[aart]

Might want to put the broody in another nest.....has she hatched before?

.......or put fake eggs in the other nests so the other birds will use them.

 

[cjpines]

No she hasn't hatched before and we don't want any more chicks. I'll try the fake eggs, Thank you.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

No she hasn't hatched before and we don't want any more chicks. I'll try the fake eggs, Thank you.

I have fake eggs on hand from when I trained the girls. But if you don't... golf balls also work.

I'm sure your egg production will return soon enough anyways once the other girls decide to take the next best place to lay. Being flock head does have it's advantages!

 

[aart]

No she hasn't hatched before and we don't want any more chicks. I'll try the fake eggs, Thank you.

Then you should break her broodiness promptly.

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 and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(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.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[cjpines]

Thank you and for the picture, will have to take your advice and try this.