Two Broodies!

[jimnjay]

I had one of my sizzles go broody about two weeks ago. She is on her second attempt. I was a mean mom at first and did not give her any fertile eggs to hatch. She finally got over it and they got back to laying about 4 weeks later and thes two weeks and whamo back on the nest. I gave her 4 Faverolle Eggs. Now she had been joined by another Sizzle that has only been laying for about 3 weeks. I have moved her and given her some eggs but she insits on sitting with Fancy. Neither of them fuss at all when I move them around or take them off the nest. I am thinking I will let them share the nesting duties. I am going to move them to their own seperate little house and pen. Does anyone out there have any experience with two girls on one nest?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi Jaynie, I have 3 Japanilkie, lol, girls that usually go broody at the same time and *insist* on setting in the same nest (I should say *insisted* since I sold the 2 black Silkanese, lol, girls last week).
I have a group of chicks in a brooder that they just hatched.

Lisa

 

[ChrisnTiff]

We never get two broodies in one nest, but it is fun to watch one of our layers try to lay an egg in the same nest a broody is in. We have 5 nesting boxes but I will often find a chicken crammed into a nest with a broody. Needless to say broody mama isn't happy but the layers never seem to care. What gives with this?

Chris

 

[jimnjay]

Dipsy, Have you found that brooding them seperately from the mama changes the length of time till she wants to brood again? I have never brooded chicks hatched by the henubator. I am anxious to get fertile eggs from these little girls but they seem to go broody before I can get a rooster mature.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

I've never noticed whether it effects when a hen goes broody again.
Maybe if you let her get it out of her system now, she'll be ready to lay again by the time your roo is mature (????).
If you take the chicks, the hen will start laying again about 3 weeks sooner than if you let her raise them --- at least, here they do

Generally, I don't let anyone I want to use for breeding be broody.
The Silkie x Cochin crosses have other ideas, tho. I went so far as to take the nest boxes out of their coop. The hard-headed girls made nests in the dirt and rolled rocks / acorns over and set on them.

Good luck with your girls. Lol, they can be frustrating

Lisa

 

[panner123]

I thought only my hens are crazy, for they have been hidding eggs on me. one has even got out of the yard to sit in the blackberrys. What makes it even harder is as I look out the window, it is snowing. The ones that are nesting won't left the nest. If they don't freeze, I will have some chicks next Wednesday.