rosie, the Indecisive hen

[spaka74]

so, here my problem, i have a serema hen, who always seems to be broody, for short periods of time... she will go for about an hour at most and then suddenly decide she dosent want to raise chicks and abandons her eggs... anyway, i recently placed her by herself away from the rest and she appeared to be sitting, for about 3-4 days, until she left her space and rejoined the rest without a care in the world... while her soon to be children were dying!

anyway, i spotted her and returned her to her place and she sat back down, but when i checked her eggs were gone to an almost cool temperature... so, even with less than an hours seperation, are the chicks inside still alive? because id hate to be wasting the hens time for chicks i dont think she really wants... any advice people?

 

[EricShane]

 

[rizq]

I have an indecisive hen as well. I thought she had finally made up her mind yesterday (sat all day the day before and all night), so I took the mutt eggs she was sitting on and gave her some of my hamburgs (much to my peril I might add! I risked life and limb to get those eggs under there!). That was about noon. She sat with the typical broody "nobody's home" trance until you got too close, then she puffed up, hissed, and pecked at me. Well, about dusk, she got off the nest. As far as I know she was off all night and was still off this morning when I watered (about 8:00). Went back to feed at about 10:00 and she was back on the nest in a broody trance and got nasty with me when I got the eggs from the neighboring nest (I did not mess with her).

I hope she did not ruin the eggs sitting on them half the day and then leaving them all night

and if they are okay I hope she keeps her silly broody bum on them until they hatch! No more wild nights

I may have to build a mini-run to attach to the nest box to keep her there while keeping the other chickens out.