Playing broody?

[a209150]

I have a speckeldy which has been laying since october 2021 and almost an egg everyday.
since a couple of weeks i noticed plucked feathers in nest box and just a couple of days discovered she acts broody at night. So i left her eggs in there to encourage her. She fluffs up, makes the broody noises and sits on the eggs at night but comes out during the day and acts normal after laying an egg. If i put her in the coop during the day she immediately starts acting broody and sits on the eggs but comes out again after a few hours. Will she every go fully broody?

 

[sourland]

She may very well go 'full' broody.

 

[aart]

She might, but don't give her real eggs until she is.

 

[a209150]

Yeah I've knly left about 4 "sacrificial" eggs in the nest which are not fertilised. I dont think she will because she is a hybrid and they dont usually have tendency to go broody. But we shall see

 

[Aapomp831]

Yeah I've knly left about 4 "sacrificial" eggs in the nest which are not fertilised. I dont think she will because she is a hybrid and they dont usually have tendency to go broody. But we shall see

Ugh, I’m dealing with a 9 month old black sex link that thinks she’s broody. They are notorious for never going broody so this just shows that anything is possible lol

 

[a209150]

Ugh, I’m dealing with a 9 month old black sex link that thinks she’s broody. They are notorious for never going broody so this just shows that anything is possible lol

Is she like mine or is she actually bothering to sit?

 

[Aapomp831]

Is she like mine or is she actually bothering to sit?

She’s sitting.... husband kicks her out of the nesting box every night

 

[Giaallen]

My year old black sex link is full on broody and relentless. We’ve dipped her in cool water for 5-10 minutes and tried frozen water bottles under her too and nothing seems to work. Her belly feathers are all but gone. At least she’s not a jerk when I shop her out of the nesting boxes. What do I need to do to get her to snap out of this!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

My year old black sex link is full on broody and relentless. We’ve dipped her in cool water for 5-10 minutes and tried frozen water bottles under her too and nothing seems to work. Her belly feathers are all but gone. At least she’s not a jerk when I shop her out of the nesting boxes. What do I need to do to get her to snap out of this!!

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[Giaallen]

Thank you so much for this suggestion. I’ll try anything. I’m just worried about her health mostly and also she’s super neurotic about the nesting boxes so I gotta get her moving! Thank you again.