What to do? I only have a dozen hens. No roosters. They are a little over a year old. Whitey is sitting on the nest and won't come off. She lets us get the eggs from underneath her. She even lets the other hens use the nest to lay eggs. While they're laying she goes and sits on another nest. As soon as the other hens are done laying their eggs she hops back on. I don't understand this behavior and wonder if there is anything I should do to deter it. Help!
Virgin hen is broody ??
Put her somewhere where she can not set on eggs and she will go back to laying.
That is perfectly normal behaviour. But if you don't want her to brood any eggs (say ones you have from a friend or buy on eBay), do what kenboy says.
The classic way to "break up" a broody is to put her in a hanging wire bottomed cage. I just read in a British book that the reason this works is it causes her underside to stay cool and that is important in stopping broodiness.
Who knew?
Maybe we should put her in the bunkhouse and turn on the air conditioner. That would cool her off.
Thanks!!
I tried putting ice packs in a broody's nest and she just tried to hatch them undeterred.
Ha, yep, that would be our Sikies. If they even see an egg or a baby chick they go broody. Ice wouldn't deter them either. We had two hens sitting on eggs, one chick hatched and then there were 3 and 4 hens in one nest all trying to sit on the one or two eggs that were left.