setting her

[mib1]

i was wondering how late in the year should a her lay on the eggs. I have found one of my hens has started setting today. should I let her or get her up.

thanks
mib

 

[Stehiiboo]

Following.

Where do you live by the way? I'm in Ohio and one of my hena just went broody too.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

i was wondering how late in the year should a her lay on the eggs. I have found one of my hens has started setting today. should I let her or get her up.

thanks
mib

Are you currently equipped to house the resulting chicks? Provided she has appropriate shelter available there is no reason she can't/shouldn't hatch chicks now vs. any other time of year.

 

[icemanabk]

If you want them to stop sitting, itd take a few days to cure. The passive approach is to have the nest box setup with chicken wiring with a gap under it. Then soem hay ontop. Theyll sit and cannot keep heat and will eventually stop being broody.

The active approach, of you want to avoid a bunch of work, is a five gallon bucket of cool water. When you catch them being broody, dunk them into the bucket so theyre wet. Keeps them from being able to incubate and theyll associaite sitting on eggs with a big bucket of cold water. I had one especially broody hen that didnt respknd to the chicken wire trick and i had to use the bucket. Took a week but she finally stopped.

Reasons i stopped mine from sitting is because i have no rooster, so wont have chicks. Id rather her be up and about eating and scratching, than eating little an no laying.

Letting her sit isnt a bad thing. Shell just protect those eggs. If you have cold winters and a coop which will drop get cold, shell prevent them from freezing.

 

[mib1]

I live in the mountains of north Carolina. Winter not got here yet. I have 3 coops one is just for my sitting hens. I found out the hard way to not leave babies in coop with other chickens

. Thanks everyone for all the information. I hope she is able to have some chicks.