Broody Sussex

[lottielady]

My sussex has been broody for about 4 weeks now and is showing no signs of wanting to return to normal does anyone have any advice I thought at first i would let her run her course but not sure which way to go now.

[Suechooks]

Wire bottomed cage so air can circulate UNDER her, food and water, keep her confined to this day and night (obviously in a safe place)until she gets out of broodiness. Or you could give her some fertile eggs!!!

[frias]

Naughty Sue! My ex-batt, Spotty is broody yet again. Sin binning doesn't seem to work on her so as I'm home all day I spend most of it turfing her off the nest. She made a very good mummy last year and I would like some more Welsummers but find culling the cocks too upsetting.

[Suechooks]

Naughty Sue! My ex-batt, Spotty is broody yet again. Sin binning doesn't seem to work on her so as I'm home all day I spend most of it turfing her off the nest. She made a very good mummy last year and I would like some more Welsummers but find culling the cocks too upsetting.

Bought myself a dear little Welsummer pullet last week along with a sweet little white Leghorn to go with my home-hatched girls (the ASBO chix) and Dave the bantam Orpington cockerel! Hated culling the 4 boys but was lucky enough to rehome 3 and 2 of the remaining ones were not really thriving well. Have a home for Dave if I get any neighbour problems. I have a feeling one of the SpeckledSussex may be a boy but at 10 weeks I'm still not sure.

[frias]

I'm turning green with envy! My Wellie is lovely, even OH is smitten.

[RichmondHens]

My sussex has been broody for about 4 weeks now and is showing no signs of wanting to return to normal does anyone have any advice I thought at first i would let her run her course but not sure which way to go now.

Does it bother you that she is broody? Do you want/need the eggs? Some broodies are impossible to break, and then it's just easier to let them sit for as long as they want. I wouldn't even bother turfing her out the nestbox, just leave her be and make sure you collect the eggs regularly so they are not sat on for too long. If she has been sitting for 4 weeks already I would imagine that she will run out of steam sooner or later.

Saying that, I have a hen that was hatched last summer, laid for four weeks, went broody in November, and did not come out of her broodiness till I gave her a token egg to sit on, which she hatched on Good Friday. She then went back into lay when the chick was 4 weeks old, laid for 4 weeks, and is now broody again!

Her sister has done a similar thing and even took herself off each day out of the main pen to a broody coop where she decided to lay every day for a fortnight (I picked up the eggs). She is now sitting in there on 2 plastic eggs as reward for her efforts, but I am cracking and will give her some real eggs tomorrow.

[lottielady]

I only have 3 hens and really have gotten used to the eggs, my cake making has almost ground to a halt and she just looks so bored sitting there all day perhaps she will get bored she was up an about a bit more yesterday