Strange Broody Behavior

[dreamgirl]

I have a (not supposed to be) broody buff Minorca who has commendeared (sp...) the far corner behind the nesting boxes as her own. The other hens have taken to laying (literally and figuratively) on top of her and then she rolls the eggs under her! I found 5 there already today. Normally they lay in a differnt nest. I don't want her to hatch any since I have a mutt rooster and a mixed flock (plus 13 chicks in the brooder), so I remove the eggs daily. Last year she almost starved to death when she went broody--we had to lock her in a cage with food and water a few hours a day. I stuck a plastice egg under her, but she threw it out of the nest!

 

[CarriBrown]

Keep removing the eggs from her, and be religious about it. If you don't think she's eating and drinking, lock her in a wire bottomed cage (too uncomfortable for her to make a nest and lay down) with food and water until she gives up brooding.

 

[Dawn419]

I second what CarriBrown says.

Our 3 Silky girls have all decided to go into broody mode together, talk about a mess!

We moved them to "chicken jail" aka wire bottomed cage and they are not happy. It was hilarious to see all 3 of them piled in the nest box at the same time.

Dawn

 

[dreamgirl]

Hmpf. That is what I wanted to do, but my bf thinks its cruel. He wants to just lock her (and everyone else ) out of the coop for a few hours a week. We tried that last year, but it took over 3 weeks and was a pain. I tried to get her interested in the chicks, but she pexked at them. I'm afraid to just pop them under her at night b/c all the other hens pick on her and wven if she accepted them, she might not be able to protect them.