ive had 5 adult hens for 2 months and for the last 5 days one of them hasnt left the nesting box, even though it could be outside with the other four. just wondering what he problem could be ty for any input.
swiss
hen wont leave nesting box?
she have eggs under her?
no she doesnt
and i dont think she is laying but the other 4 are. the only time she leaves the box is in the am tro drink or when i remove her from it, when i do she acts like the others for ABOUT 5 min then goes right back to box and never an egg under her
I am by no means an expert here but sounds like she is going broody on you, if you have fertile eggs and want lil chicks, by all means put them eggs under her and see.
It sounds like she is broody. Can you slip a fertile egg under her?
Or try the different methods that have been discussed to "break up" a broody hen--everything from soaking them with the hose to hanging them up in a suspended cage. I don't remember all the other ways--Oh, I think one was keeping them in the dark?
Someone more knowledgeable jump in!
he he he Cat we crossed posted, GMTA
Ooooo--yeh, we did!LOL
ty for any help but i dont have a mature rooster yet to provide me with fertile eggs all my roosters are only 2 months old and are in a separate cage than my adults.
Oh no well just let her go thru it I guess, Unless you could find some fertile eggs.
You can "break them up"--but some are easier to break up than others. Sometimes if you just keep them out of the nest box(or any box) for a few days, they will snap out of it--but some will brood a rock on the ground.
I know there is a thread here somewhere where people managed to un-brood a broody. Now where is it? The chicken fairy should know--since broody hens really cut into her business:0)
LOL yea the CF should know. But I think she gave up her wand.
So sad when good CFs go bad!
swiss0202, ignore these guys, they are being kind of silly. If you don't need her to lay, just leave her alone and she will come out of it on her own. It is just like a false pregnancy. And they recover from it.
GG
Silly! Granny! Silly! But I have never had a broody hen in my life! Unlike yours, my knowledge is pure and undefiled by experience....:0)
Actually swiss0202, granny has tons of experience with laying hens and she is absolutely right. Leave them alone and they will eventually snap out of it....People try to break them up in order to keep getting eggs--they won't lay while they are brooding.
This message was edited Jul 25, 2008 12:08 AM
This message was edited Jul 25, 2008 2:20 AM
And, swiss0202, right now I have about 7 to 8 hens that are either getting broody, already broody, or coming out of the broodiness. Out of 30 laying hens I am only getting 13 to 16 eggs a day. I haven't had broody hens before and didn't know that Black Australorp hens would be this broody. I have learned another lesson with it. I won't be having BAs after next year.
GG
Orpingtons are broody too, granny!
RIR are not suppose to be--but would they big enough for your DH? They certainly lay and are considered good dual purpose.
Catscan, we had Orpingtons the last go-round. They were not broody at all. We also had RIRs, and we did have one go broody on us. We tried to set here but she insisted on eating the eggs instead of hatching them. So, of course she went to camp freezer last fall.
Yes, RIRs would be big enough for my DH. So would BOs. The BAs we have are scrawny almost like Leghorns. We want a little more meat on their bones. These will only be good for making broths when we put them in the pot. Where I was able to get a pot of meat for chicken and dumplings with the one of the last flock we had, it will take two of these for the same amount of meat. That's what he meant.
GG
it was peggieK in clearmore OK that broke up some broody bantys with a water hose soak fo rthree days.... soembody find the thread, this girl is beat...
Sheesh, tf. Somebody isn't taking their CF rep duties very seriously. Okay here is the thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/853258/
I tried to find it earlier--how did you know it was Peggie in Clearmore with a garden hose?
This message was edited Jul 25, 2008 1:18 AM
swiss hun what did you decide to do, yes we are a silly bunch
i have a scary memory....
Yes you do......
sorry!