# Broody hens



## vonnie (Aug 20, 2007)

Drive me flippin mad!!!

That is all :lol2:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

:lol2:

you not having much luck stopping them sitting i take it?


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## Pimperella (Sep 26, 2006)

I get them sat on eggs. I love it when any of mine go broody. 
I have 2 Bantams sat on eggs. The more I have go broody, the less I have to faff around with Incubators and Brooders. 
I have a whole pen full of hens that are my prised broodies. Mainly Silkie x'c. Pekin x's and other bantams that have proved their worth. My best are 2 of my Buff Orpington girls and that is because they can sit on loads lol


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

I'm pee'd off cos none of mine will go broody. The bantams are laying more reliably than the hybrids and LF but just won't sit.


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## Pimperella (Sep 26, 2006)

LiamRatSnake said:


> I'm pee'd off cos none of mine will go broody. The bantams are laying more reliably than the hybrids and LF but just won't sit.


Thats the reason I got in some more Broodies. I got 2 Silkie x Pekins, 1 Goldtop, and a few more Bantams that had been broodies before.

Fingers crossed you get some going towards the mothering way.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

at least your hens are blinking laying eggs!


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Pimperella said:


> Thats the reason I got in some more Broodies. I got 2 Silkie x Pekins, 1 Goldtop, and a few more Bantams that had been broodies before.
> 
> Fingers crossed you get some going towards the mothering way.


One of the Pekins pretended to be broody for all of 48 hours, I left her them with their own eggs in the hope that one would sit and there was 20-odd in there before I finally gave up and removed them. Ahwell, I don't mind too much I think bantam eggs are much tastier. Plus it's a nice excuse to have 2 or 3 for breakfast without being a pig.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

once mine go down they stay broody.

but i move them into a rabbit hutch in a quiet place so they dont get disturbed and can sit in peace, never had one come off and leave the eggs.


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## chamlover (Jan 7, 2007)

I cant stop mine going broody lol.
every time I go in the shed there is at least 1 threatening to kill me if I go anywhere near her imaginary egg.
I have already moved 2 out of the main shed into arks and set them on guinea fowl eggs


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi all, broody hens here too :lol2: I keep thowing them (in the nicest possible way) out of the nest box to make sure they drink enough in this heat. FOUR hens addamant on sharing ONE nest box equals semi roasted chickens:gasp: No cockerels (can't dispatch so I don't hatch), I check four or five times a day and any eggs are removed immediately. Anytips for snapping them out of it, or is it just a waiting game? 
Broody hens, who'd have 'em :flrt:


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

llamedos said:


> Hi all, broody hens here too :lol2: I keep thowing them (in the nicest possible way) out of the nest box to make sure they drink enough in this heat. FOUR hens addamant on sharing ONE nest box equals semi roasted chickens:gasp: No cockerels (can't dispatch so I don't hatch), I check four or five times a day and any eggs are removed immediately. Anytips for snapping them out of it, or is it just a waiting game?
> Broody hens, who'd have 'em :flrt:


I need them, I don't want to fork out for an incubator and brooder just for half a dozen legbars and a few faverolles.
As for knocking them out of it there's a few tricks, you can chuck them across the garden, lock them out of the coop, dunk them in cold water, put them in a broody cage which can even be suspended from a tree if they are particularly stubborn - or just hatch some eggs and look forward to cockerel casserole. There are other tips (which most books often neglect to mention) scattered all over poultry forums.


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

LiamRatSnake said:


> I need them, I don't want to fork out for an incubator and brooder just for half a dozen legbars and a few faverolles.
> As for knocking them out of it there's a few tricks, you can chuck them across the garden, lock them out of the coop, dunk them in cold water, put them in a broody cage which can even be suspended from a tree if they are particularly stubborn - or just hatch some eggs and look forward to cockerel casserole. There are other tips (which most books often neglect to mention) scattered all over poultry forums.


Definately tempted with these three:lol2:

Erryl


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i go with the launch method too, usually works.

apparently keeping them cool and in an open cage for a few days ( like the wire show cages ) is supposed to work too


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi all, I decided to evict the hens today and give the coop a thorough spring clean. Well they nearly killed each other because they could not get back in. So I have decided to go with the flow and allow them to do their own thing, but things will not be all pampering and no eggs. Anyone recommend a good wormer:lol2:

Erryl


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

One of my friends Pekin x is broody so shes now sat on 5 call duck and 2 Mandarin eggs, Im not sure it will work but it saves her using an incubator and gives this girl something useful to do.


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi all, just been researching stopping broody hens and didn't realise the longer they brood the longer it takes to restart laying :blush: SO I am going to try the cold water followed by ice cubes? in the nest box as I now have 5 hens all sitting in one box, each thinking the others have eggs they can pinch when they move.

Erryl


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## Pimperella (Sep 26, 2006)

llamedos said:


> Hi all, just been researching stopping broody hens and didn't realise the longer they brood the longer it takes to restart laying :blush: SO I am going to try the cold water followed by ice cubes? in the nest box as I now have 5 hens all sitting in one box, each thinking the others have eggs they can pinch when they move.
> 
> Erryl


Use Ice Packs instead of Ice Cubes. In this weather and under a pile of Broodies, The ice cubes will be water in mins. Ice Packs will last longer. The plastic ones you put in picnic hampers and such.


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

Good idea with the ice packs, I have a stash already frozen that I use when I pick up my snake food. Now why didn't I think of that

Erryl


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

or pop bottles are good too, holding a larger volume they last longer.

can you not block up the next boxes for a bit? or take out the bedding so its less snuggily and tempting.

i can recommend the launch into outerspace method.
you do look a bit `special` launching hens in the garden though.:blush:


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## llamedos (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi pigglywiggly (love the name) I have been launching them 4/5 times a day to ensure they leave the nest boxes for food and water, and yesterday I completely blocked off the nesting/roosting area to give it a thorough spring clean which just drove them batty. The nest boxes are loose inside the roost so they came out an sat there empty to dry out. All that happened is that every broody hen, apart from running round like headless chickens, went into attack mode, anything that moved was pecked into submission and more. :devil: The poor black pekins bore the brunt of the aggression but all the hens were fair game. I ended up re-opening for their safety. I don't have the room to separate all the broodies from each other and the rest of the flock. Hence the reason to persuade them that nesting is not such a good idea.


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## Callia (Aug 8, 2009)

I have cochins which I have found to be one of the worst for being broody all the time. I thought I had found a fool proof method to knock them off being broody by swapping them from living in the paddock or in the aviaries in the garden. The change of surroundings seem to do the trick BUT, one little madam found a really good hiding place and after searching and not finding her a few weeks ago I assumed the worst :-( She was walking around the garden thursday morning though with 7 chicks following !!!! Looks like they have it sussed and I'll have to just admit defeat:lol2:


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