Why do some people get mad over having a broody?

[rcentner]

I had one go broody last year and it got all messed up cause we had just bought new chickens and they stressed her off the nest. We are looking forward to the same hen going broody this year. All the others are RSL's , however....I don't really have the room for a bunch more chickens, but my DH is sooooo excited about chicks that he doesn't seem to care. We also got a pair of partridge rock bantams last year and hope we get some broodiness out of her. My DH wants to put the bantam eggs under the other hen if she goes broody again this year. My guess is we will end up in that "oh no, not again" place in the future after my DH realizes that he has to keep rebuilding the runs and coops to accomodate more chooks.

 

[Wynette]

I don't have a proper place for a broody to hatch eggs...and I need the eggs! When they go broody, they stop laying. When I have one that I need the eggs from that goes broody, I pull her from her pen and put her in a different pen for 2 days; that's usually all it takes. Big change of scenery, new chickens to deal with, etc. Then, I bring her back to her pen, and she's usually laying again in 7-10 days.

 

[PeepsInc]

All 4 of my bantam Plymouth rocks are broody. 1 just hatched eggs. I thought they were just crazy doing that this time of year. I now have the momma and chicks living in a dog crate. I'll put the other hens chicks with her as they hatch. I thought it was pretty cool. I feel it's good luck to have chicks hatching. The renewal of life.

 

[Uzuri]

I don't need (or have anywhere to put) chicks at the moment (note that that doesn't mean I don't want them

), so a broody for me would just be a waste of feed.

Of course, when I DO want chicks, I'm sure none of the hens will oblige me

 

[The Chicken People]

Lil Bit went broody yesterday...I have no fertile eggs for her and I just dont want her loosing weight as winter is here and so I may have to break her broodiness!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

My broodies always take up the nesting boxes and the hens that ARE laying, lay in the box where the broody is (she does get out to poop, eat and drink).

Then I have far too many eggs in the box and of course they get broken and such.

If I find a hen that is in the box for more than 3 days she goes (with whatever eggs she has) to the hutch I have in the barn. It is secure, dark and she can get out to the light, eat, drink and poop.

I DO NOT let my hens sit eggs from NOV through March, it is just TOO cold for the babies and the momma always seem to loose track of their babies in the chaos of the barn.

They can not stay in the hutch until they are 8 weeks old, it is just too small for that.

Next year I am going to take the babies from mom at 4 weeks and put them in a large cage that is way off the ground.

At 4 weeks they can not get through the cage bars. This way they will be safe and they can cuddle up with one another.

I have personally seen hens kill baby chicks, it is an awful sight.

 

[CMV]

I have a hen that is almost 2 years old now. She has only laid eggs for about 6 months of that 2 years because she is constantly going broody on me. She takes up feed and space, and gives nothing back. She also is a bully and nasty to her coop mates. I have a very limited amount of space, do not intend to hatch any chicks and have no roosters. She is destined for the stew pot if she ever stops being broody long enough to put some weight on her skinny carcass. I may as well get something back for feeding her for 2 years. It sounds unkind, but I have chickens for the eggs they produce and if they aren't producing then they go into the pot. Now, if she was a sweetie then I'd probably keep her, but she's really unpleasant on top of not producing, so she will not be with us much longer. I also feel I must add that she will be the first and only laying hen I have ever felt so strongly negative about. Being broody constantly is just the last nail in her coffin.