One more question about my broody girls

[sonandsal]

Hi everyone
Thanks so much for the help so far. I have 2 broody chickens and 1 non broody one at the moment. If I leave them to it in the nesting boxes they have chosen and go in there 3 or 4 times a day to get them out to eat, drink and poop (which they are doing quite happily even though they grumble) how long should they be broody for. Is it a couple of weeks or so? Then does nature take its course and they just stay out of the nest for longer and the broodiness goes away. This may be the best solution for me than to try to pen them in cages separately for a few days. Will this work or do I just need to put them in a cage. If i your opinion it wont work and they will just stay broody Ill bite the bullet and out will come the old large weiro cage.
By the way if you had read my last post I now realise after looking at photos that the one that looked like a raptor when she was small was a buff orpington bantam cross. She is adorable with beautiful big eyes. It was the eyes that won me over when I purchased her. No wonder she is bottom of the pecking order with the soft gentle nature that she has.

Oh, a quick funny story. I went into the chook house to get the girls offthe nest and out for a drink and some food this afternoon before their bed time and I don't know what happened but Miss Orpington was not in her downstairs box. I looked around outside in case she was already out but she was not there. I then checked upstairs in the chook house and squashed into one nesting box was miss bluey Arachana and behind her and half on top of her, clutching the only fake egg in the box, was Miss Orpington. Miss Arachana was not leaving the box either so they just stayed there together joined at the hip while the nesting box next door was empty. What a sight. Meanwhile Mrs Frizzle bantam wanted to lay an egg so she wanted that same nesting box too and couldn't get in so she dropped her egg just outside the box where it broke. That's only the second egg I've seen broken in 2 years. Must be something about that favourite nesting box today, they don't usually queue up for it.
Good night all Ill read the replies in the morning.
Sonya

 

[chickens really]

Well. If sitting for no purpose Hens begin to lose weight. I break all mine if not going to have anything in return for setting.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi everyone
Thanks so much for the help so far. I have 2 broody chickens and 1 non broody one at the moment. If I leave them to it in the nesting boxes they have chosen and go in there 3 or 4 times a day to get them out to eat, drink and poop (which they are doing quite happily even though they grumble) how long should they be broody for. Is it a couple of weeks or so? Then does nature take its course and they just stay out of the nest for longer and the broodiness goes away. This may be the best solution for me than to try to pen them in cages separately for a few days. Will this work or do I just need to put them in a cage. If i your opinion it wont work and they will just stay broody Ill bite the bullet and out will come the old large weiro cage.
By the way if you had read my last post I now realise after looking at photos that the one that looked like a raptor when she was small was a buff orpington bantam cross. She is adorable with beautiful big eyes. It was the eyes that won me over when I purchased her. No wonder she is bottom of the pecking order with the soft gentle nature that she has.

Oh, a quick funny story. I went into the chook house to get the girls offthe nest and out for a drink and some food this afternoon before their bed time and I don't know what happened but Miss Orpington was not in her downstairs box. I looked around outside in case she was already out but she was not there. I then checked upstairs in the chook house and squashed into one nesting box was miss bluey Arachana and behind her and half on top of her, clutching the only fake egg in the box, was Miss Orpington. Miss Arachana was not leaving the box either so they just stayed there together joined at the hip while the nesting box next door was empty. What a sight. Meanwhile Mrs Frizzle bantam wanted to lay an egg so she wanted that same nesting box too and couldn't get in so she dropped her egg just outside the box where it broke. That's only the second egg I've seen broken in 2 years. Must be something about that favourite nesting box today, they don't usually queue up for it.
Good night all Ill read the replies in the morning.
Sonya

I assume you’ve removed the eggs?
If you don’t want to use a wire cage you need to strip out all the bedding in the nest boxes. Better still is to close the nest boxes off. If the two broody hens have been trying to sit for 3 or 4 days the likelihood is their egg producing has been switched off.
Your remaining bantam will have to lay eggs as she has outside the nesting box. You could make an alternative laying box from cardboard to use for a few days.
As long as the broody hens can sit comfortably in their favorite boxes and you keep lifting them out to feed and water they may stay broody for quite some time.

 

[Mimi13]

You really need to place a broody in a wire bottomed cage to break her and there is a physiological reason for this. A broody will pluck her breast area feathers, so the eggs can be in contact with her skin, in order to keep the eggs warm. As long as she is nestled down and “warming” whatever is underneath her, she will not get up, thus jeopardizing her health. This behavior is all hormone triggered and driven. The wire bottomed cage (no shavings, straw, etc.) will allow cool air to flow underneath her and will facilitate breaking up the broody behavior. Once her underside is cooled down she will snap out of the broody behavior. Do not forget to keep feed and water in the cage with her.

 

[sonandsal]

OK guys cage it is. Ill attend to that today. Thanks everyone