Ok. do I leave her sitting on an empty nest or do I move her? She's a cochin and I know they go broody easy but I don't want little ones in this cold cold weather so I've been removing the eggs but she isn't moving. Do I just leave her alone? Should I put some fake eggs under her? What??? Help please. I'm on my way nite nite! LOL! But will be up early to look for answers. Thanks in advance for any help. Jacie
Some broody hens will just continue to lay until they can go through the cycle of setting for that 28 days. Meantime they usually are not eating normally and prone to lose weight. Others will just give it up after removing eggs for about 10 days if you catch them shortly after they lay.
I kept putting mine out of the box, then she stopped laying, so I went ahead and let her sit, worse case I am out a dozen eggs, best case I have a dozen more chicks. edited to add: I wish I had decided to let her sit, because she is gonna be mad when she realizes that none of her babies will look anything like her, she has none of her own eggs under her.
I don't know what *you* want to do, but my araucana went broody in Dec. and out of the 3 babies that hatched, I still have the original 2 that are VERY healthy....probably the healthiest chicks I've had. I still have NO idea where the 3rd went the day it was born... BUT the whole point is...if you want to let her hatch, do it...she will keep them warm...my girl has...even followed their crazy little butts out of the nest box in the pooring,freezing rain one night just to sit on them & keep them warm til I found them. Now, they are in a dog kennel together where they are all much safer Just my 2 cents, Kristi
Quote:My black/silver araucana broody has a RIR chick and a yellow chick (who I have NO idea who it's parents are)...so they definately look NOTHING like her and she is QUITE happy, even with the little boogers pecking at her eyes & riding her back all the time So have no fear! Kristi
haha...my Black Australorp, Heidi, was the main mother to my brood. NONE of them look like her...they all look like Billy, our BO who died in June... 3 of my girls look like full blood BO, 2 look like full blood RIR even though they are 1/2 BO, 1/2 RIR, and the other one...I don't know if she's SLW/BO or Australorp/BO...well, I keep saying *SHE*...the consensus is...she's a HE. Anyway, it's a very pretty gold/black mix...the feathers are like our SLW...but it has a regular comb, not a "rose" comb...and it is HUGE. Anyway, none looked anything like Heidi, and she couldn't care less...she'd swish her tail at anyone who dared come around!
Take the eggs away and every time you do go out pick her up and put her by the food & water eventuall she will stop.
Yes I would think about giving her some eggs back to sit on. Otherwise put her in a broody gaol for 4 days and nights approx until she snaps out of it. My buff orp took on some day olds once and she didnt care what they looked like either, some people stick duck eggs under them so she wont mind what she hatches if you do replace some eggs for her. Good Luck
Why not let her hatch? She instinctively knows how to protect and keep the babies warm after they hatch.