standard size broody hens are SCARY!

[chasehope]

I have only ever had a silkie go broody until now. I went out last night to find my biggest standard cochin hen sitting on an egg. I left her alone, and this morning she was still sitting on her 1 egg. By this afernoon she now has 2 eggs, one was donated by one of her banty pen mates. But MAN is she scary. She makes more noise than a stuck pig if you get too close to her, and she is HUGE. I think that I will just let her be and see what happens. I never thought that I would be afraid of a chicken!

 

[Critter Crazy]

You will need to move her to her own area, or the other hens will continue to lay eggs in her nest.

But Congrats!! And yes the big girls do make tons of noise while broody!

 

[seedcorn]

Think cochin hen is scary, never get near standard game hens.....They'd rather die than let you see what's hatched below them.

 

[chasehope]

I am going to move her tomorrow, she only has 1 egg of her own, so I will let them donate a few more and then we will mover her away and let them have the nest back. She has 8 eggs as of today, so I think that I will let her have 10 and then move her. I have been marking them as they are layed so that I know which ones are new. She has made me bleed already and they are only a few days into incubation!!!

 

[Saltiena]

wow thats pretty bad, i;'m going to have cochins as well but mine are bantams so i hope they aren't as bad, good luck to you

 

[Picco]

My sweet little bantam cochin hens turn into hormonal monsters when on the nest. I can't imagine what a standard would do!

 

[jessupfamily]

I get my mamas to let me check under them without a fight. I have Light Brahmas, Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Partridge and Barred Rocks that have hatched in our coop. We let them stay with the others and just take the unmarked eggs from her several times a day. The way we get them to stop acting crazy towards us is: we go out a different times of the day and just talk to them and pet them on their head and necks (at these visits we do not lift them or poke or even get near the bottom of them. They get calmer with each visit. And then there are visits that we do the same petting and talking and we gently raise their chest, and maybe a leg also on the big girls, and check the egg situation. And after they have hatched their babies and take them out of the coop they usually trust us around their babies also.
Amy J.