getting broody ALREADY!!!!!

[Nicos]

Hmmm...well it's 2 weeks since all 4 girls have been laying since the last batch of chicks hatched- and Betty has been laying in the herbaceous border outside the fencing ( she seems to stay inside once she's laid...well so far anyway!)

..and so - I went to collect the other 3 eggs this afternoon only to find Alice all puffed up sitting on the wooden egg and 2 other fresh ones
NOoooooo...I'm not ready for this!!!!!!!!!2 out of 4 wanting to sit on their eggs!

maybe it's not such a fantastic idea to plan to have all your chooks as good for brooding after all????- at this rate I'll have loads of babies- and no eggs!

..would spraying them with a hosepipe cool them down a bit?????

[Eyren]

You could try dunking them in a bucket of cold water, if the weather is mild enough for them to dry out before bedtime - it cools down their undercarriage no end!

I usually put mine in the Norty Cage - having nowhere to nest snaps them out of it in about 48 hours...

[lynda66]

i have come up with a solution .... leave the girls to get on with it and go get some different hens that arent so broody lol .... then you get eggs and babies ... a win wi situation

[KimT]

Dunking chickens in cold water will shock them and possibley kill them................not a good idea.

Put her in a open fenced area with food and water every day and put her back in the hen house at night with the others making sure she can't get into the nest box and then the next day put her back in the open area after a few days she will be well fed up.

[Nicos]

i have come up with a solution .... leave the girls to get on with it and go get some different hens that arent so broody lol .... then you get eggs and babies ... a win wi situation

...now your talking!!!!

..ah BUT...my choice of chook are Marans ( sort of decided to get 3 soonish)...but they're very broody too aren't they????

[Nicos]

Dunking chickens in cold water will shock them and possibley kill them................not a good idea.

Put her in a open fenced area with food and water every day and put her back in the hen house at night with the others making sure she can't get into the nest box and then the next day put her back in the open area after a few days she will be well fed up.

That's an interesting idea!
where would she lay - or...I presume... she'll have stopped once she's gone broody???? ( we're one egg down today!)

(I have removed the wooden egg by the way)

I have got a small sized dog cage for transporting the cat between UK and France- maybe that'd be an idea??- she could graze through the bottom if I remove the tray!

[KimT]

Best idea yet!

[Hilary B]

...now your talking!!!!

..ah BUT...my choice of chook are Marans ( sort of decided to get 3 soonish)...but they're very broody too aren't they????

YOUNG Marans (POL) aren't particularly broody. Second year, they tend to start brooding after a couple of months laying, 3rd year, they are definitely better at hatching than laying. That is the British strains. French ones may be different.

I reckon your hens are messing you about. Don't let them get away with it! Build a 'sin bin' (one of those wire cages the vet lends for taking cats home is good) and shut her in with food and water, but no bedding, (keep out of rain).

[lynda66]

nicos, i'll be just like you, if they want babies i shall have to let them ..... wishes mine would hurry up and get broody ... mind you i might change my mind once they actually start laying eggs ...... i have a plan though ...... runner ducks ...... don't go broody and you get great eggs ..... just give some hatching eggs to your chooks ..... ok i'm a bit obsessed and feeling a need for babies now.

[Nicos]

I reckon your hens are messing you about. Don't let them get away with it! Build a 'sin bin' (one of those wire cages the vet lends for taking cats home is good) and shut her in with food and water, but no bedding, (keep out of rain).

Yes M'am!!!....yup - I think you may be right there!!

I now need to sort out th fencing too

Thanks for your support one and all!

[frias]

One of my ex-batts has gone broody 3 times since I had her. I tried the sin bin which didn't work so spent most of my day turfing her off the nest until she got fed up. I did read that holding her at waist high and letting her flutter to the ground was one way of cooling her off or putting a wrapped up ice pack under her in the nest, so might try these next time.

[bluemoon]

As soon as one of mine goes broody I'm on to ebay for some fertile eggs.

[lynda66]

As soon as one of mine goes broody I'm on to ebay for some fertile eggs.

hate to point this ouit lol, but isn't that why you have cockerels?? lol

[MaureenHall]

hate to point this ouit lol, but isn't that why you have cockerels?? lol

I was going to say the same thing Is a lesson in the birds and bees in order?

[bluemoon]

hate to point this ouit lol, but isn't that why you have cockerels?? lol

Oh...yeah...