Very Broody Chickens

[britkolber]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and I'm so excited to see so many knowledgeable people in one place! My husband and I have been raising chickens and ducks for the last year. We have 20 right now and we are expecting another 15 babies this year. I have about 5 girls that are so broody they are plucking there own feathers out. I know it's to give their eggs extra heat but we take the eggs daily and we have even tried separating them for a time from the nest boxes but they continue to pull their feathers out. A couple have no feathers at all in the entire front of their neck. I love them and I don't want anything bad to happens. The most broody are our barred rocks and those island reds. Should I let them keep some eggs? We have plenty of room for them if they hatch. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I assume you have a rooster, so the eggs are fertile.
If you have room and you want more chicks, then by all means let them sit on some. Be sure to mark any eggs the day you let them start setting so you can remove any that are added by other hens later. Otherwise that will create a disastrous staggered hatch.

Other than that you need to put the broodies you want to break into an elevated wire bottom cage so the cool air can reach their underside.

 

[britkolber]

I assume you have a rooster, so the eggs are fertile.
If you have room and you want more chicks, then by all means let them sit on some. Be sure to mark any eggs the day you let them start setting so you can remove any that are added by other hens later. Otherwise that will create a disastrous staggered hatch.

Other than that you need to put the broodies you want to break into an elevated wire bottom cage so the cool air can reach their underside.

Thank you! Yes we have a rooster. I will try that.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The cool belly will break the hormone cycle causing the broody behavior.
It is a tried and true method that has been use for hundreds if not thousands of years.

If they can plant their underside on a solid surface, they'll stay broody.

 

[britkolber]

Great! Thank you!