I wrote some weeks ago about my young Brahma Baby who had gone broody and was setting on and attempting to hatch some wooden eggs. For a number of reasons my plan to find a wire cage for her to try to break the broodiness didn't work out before I had to leave town -- so we defaulted to just going with her broodiness, but since she didn't seem to be coming out of the coop on her own we have "airlifted" her in the nesting box out of the coop (up through raisable roof) once a day -- I wait until other hens have laid their eggs for the day and then around Noon to 2 pm Baby is brought out of the coop, entrance is closed off, and she hangs out eating, drinking, pooping and dust bathing until I open the coop again. People caring for hens while I was gone had no problem doing this and I've become used to the daily procedure. My questions are:
Is there anything wrong with doing this and just letting her go through the process on the wooden egg?
Is there anything wrong with removing her for 4 to 6 hours a day to make sure she eats and drinks? Or should I let her back into the coop sooner, when she starts her clucking and whining at the door? She comes and kind of leads me to the coop and appears to be cajoling me into opening up the door. It's pretty clear that after an hour or two she wants back in to sit on that wooden egg.
Is there any specific period of time that this broodiness will continue? I've noticed mention of 21 days, but is this just an average? It's 21 days today and I must admit that it would be nice for things to return to normal.
And is there any specific schedule telling when she might become broody once again or is it a whim of the hormones? I assume I can expect her to continue doing this, right? And I suppose there are chances of the other hens becoming broody too -- is this correct? Are some breeds more prone than others? I've got one NHRed and two that are probably Easter Eggers.
I don't want chicks (no room or facility right now) or I'd certainly consider buying some fertile eggs to put under her.
As it is, she moves from nesting box to nesting box sometimes, tending to an egg here and another there (I leave one wooden egg in each as other hens appear to not know what to do if there isn't one egg in the box -- I've tried taking them all out and the girls have laid out in the yard) -- and she has also managed to get eggs from other nests all into one box -- boxes are on floor of coop and I assume she must push them along somehow but it couldn't be easy and sort of amazes me.
I don't really mind the broodiness but just want to make sure that how I'm handling it is appropriate and not doing some damage in some way. One nice outcome has been that in getting her out of the coop daily, I've been able to hold her and pet her, and she isn't so skittish and shy with me now, while still scared of others. I take real advantage of this and hold her on my lap when I can. She's a pretty, sweet, big hunk of a hen!
Is there anything wrong with doing this and just letting her go through the process on the wooden egg?
Is there anything wrong with removing her for 4 to 6 hours a day to make sure she eats and drinks? Or should I let her back into the coop sooner, when she starts her clucking and whining at the door? She comes and kind of leads me to the coop and appears to be cajoling me into opening up the door. It's pretty clear that after an hour or two she wants back in to sit on that wooden egg.
Is there any specific period of time that this broodiness will continue? I've noticed mention of 21 days, but is this just an average? It's 21 days today and I must admit that it would be nice for things to return to normal.
And is there any specific schedule telling when she might become broody once again or is it a whim of the hormones? I assume I can expect her to continue doing this, right? And I suppose there are chances of the other hens becoming broody too -- is this correct? Are some breeds more prone than others? I've got one NHRed and two that are probably Easter Eggers.
I don't want chicks (no room or facility right now) or I'd certainly consider buying some fertile eggs to put under her.
As it is, she moves from nesting box to nesting box sometimes, tending to an egg here and another there (I leave one wooden egg in each as other hens appear to not know what to do if there isn't one egg in the box -- I've tried taking them all out and the girls have laid out in the yard) -- and she has also managed to get eggs from other nests all into one box -- boxes are on floor of coop and I assume she must push them along somehow but it couldn't be easy and sort of amazes me.
I don't really mind the broodiness but just want to make sure that how I'm handling it is appropriate and not doing some damage in some way. One nice outcome has been that in getting her out of the coop daily, I've been able to hold her and pet her, and she isn't so skittish and shy with me now, while still scared of others. I take real advantage of this and hold her on my lap when I can. She's a pretty, sweet, big hunk of a hen!
