silver laced has gone broody

[rita2paul]

ok she has only just started to lay eggs and has now gone broody, i keep taking her off and she just keeps going back, i took the eggs away but she just sits, so i have now put some eggs back under her, i have to pick her off each day to feed will she be ok, or should i take them away from her, i am worried she is to young and has not got a lot of meat reserves on her to see her through hatching. also when i put her out in the run to eat the other has started to chase her. never had a broody hen before so i am unsure what i should do. any advice please.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

You need to decide whether you want her to hatch or not hatch. If you would like to break her I would suggest putting her in a wire cage with no solid bottom that way air will circulate around her tummy. Frozen bags of veggies or frozen water bottles also would be helpful to make her not want to sit. If you would like to hatch chicks make sure the eggs are candled within the first few days to check they are fertile or you can do the smell check (what I did and worked perfectly).

Also if you want to let her hatch you do not need to remove her from the nest. She knows when she needs to get up, usually just once a day, to eat/drink and go the bathroom .

As for her age I have no advice, there is a search icon on the top of this website that you can use.

 

[rita2paul]

ok this little hen who is only a baby herself, i hatched her this year, she is still sitting tight on these eggs, the cockerel is one of my hatched chicks that also hatched with her this year he is a lavender araucana so it will be interesting to see what the chicks will look like. so it's been a week and i need to candle them. she is still in her box with all the other chickens as i am worried if i move her away they will not except her back into the flock, i have a cage set up on the floor ready for her to move into when it's near the time to hatch, i have tried to move her in with the eggs but she just keeps going back to the old nest box the she likes. will she be ok left there.

 

[rita2paul]

this is where she is sat, not a good place for the chicks and this is where i want her to sit so the chicks will be safe. how can i get her to stay in the cage without locking her in.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Since the nesting box is removable can you place it on the floor? After they hatch you could put them in the wire cage

 

[rita2paul]

Since the nesting box is removable can you place it on the floor? After they hatch you could put them in the wire cage

i was thinking about that, do you think it would be ok maybe a day before they are due. i tried moving the box when she first sat and she got off and went back up to another box, so i put it back, maybe it was to early for her. not sure if they are fertile yet. will candle Monday that will be day 8.

 

[rita2paul]

this little girl is still sitting, with all this heat poor love. anyway when she comes off the nest they all chase her and bully her away from the food is this normal, never had a broody before. i do worry about her, will they ever except her back.