I have a very intensely broody Golden Sebright--she started about 5 days ago. Now according to all the books, Golden Sebright are not suppose to be good broodies. I have a Golden Sebright egg in the incubator that is about 2 weeks along and some Dutch Bantam and Fayoumi eggs that are about to go into the incubator tonight. Should I risk putting any of them under her? If so which?
How to Handle a Broody
Try Harmony. I think she has done this sort of thing before. Do you have enough eggs to chance about 3? I believe a combination of boldness and nonchalance is required. Warm the eggs and sneak 'em under her (boldly and swiftly) while she's sleeping, perhaps? Wish I knew enough to do more than guess.
Silkie might know...
Cat I don't know anything about Golden Sebrights but if you have heard they aren't good broodies i wouldn't risk it.
If it was a Cochin or Silkie i would say go ahead but it being a Sebright i just don't know.
I would side with the books and just leave the eggs in the safety of the incu.
Your probably right, Harmony. But the books suggest that they don't go broody and she is definitely and aggressively broody. I would love to let one of my pullets hatch--but the weather is cooler now and it probably isn't the best time to experiment.
If I were to try--would it be okay to put an egg that was closer to hatching? I am wondering how they react when an egg hatches before they would be biologically ready for it.
I think that worries me more, couldn't tell you why...maybe the mommas can 'hear' developing babies and might reject it? Maybe it's all in my head.
Don't have the answer for that one Cat as Grow said she might reject it not haveing really spent any good setting time on it.
If you really want to try it and don't care the outcome good or bad then try it.
If you have any reservations about it then i would wait if shes broody now she will get broody again. Hopefully next time it will be when she has her own eggs or when you can provide her with some fertile ones.
This is purely theoretical. One always hears about slipping an egg under a broody--but at what stage of broodiness is it safe to do so? The first few days the Sebright would get off the eggs (hers and her coop mates) and wander around for a while several times a day--now she is on like glue and really nasty. So I would presume it would be best to wait until the are in full "brood". But how long can you wait to start the incubation? One week? Two?
If they're really determined, they'll pretty much sit til an egg appears or bust...
When i have a hen go broody i wait until she sticks to the nest. In other words shes there day and night only leaves for breaks and gets real grumpy. I will then wait at least 3 or 4 more days have waited a week to do what i call commit to brooding. This is so i will be positive she is really commited to the brooding off only for breaks. Then i will remove my wooden eggs and replace them with fertile eggs and mark my calender
I think that is just where I am with Calypso. She is sticking like glue. But since it is her first broodiness, I will wait. The Welsummer and Marans were also ferocious brooders. The Welsummer, Louisa, is still recovering. Buttercup, the Buff Orpington was dedicated--she even chased away my German Shepherd when it got too close--but she seemed to snap out of it quicker and didn't seem as debilitated. She started laying again pretty quickly--the other two still aren't although their combs are getting brighter.
Broody hens remind me of hormonal women you never know what they are going to do.
Well on that note i'm off to bed Night Cat ;)
Night Harmony.
WOW realy wish I could experience the broody thing, sadly mine lay and run. It would be like Christmas in spring to see little peeps pop out from under a hen. Good Luck Catscan
Give It time and you will get to see it if it doesn't happen go get a trio of cochins. They will lay at 5 to 6 months and go broody in about a month or two. I had a hen lay 10 eggs hatch those stayed with them about 6 weeks then she laid 10 more and went broody again.
Y'know, Cats...I went to bed last night thinking about the thread where someone's 'bator went off during the night and the eggs were fine in spite of 12 hrs without heat? Because they were sufficiently far along to maintain internal temps for a short while? Maybe if you're gonna be home this weekend, you'd be able to safely test that broody -check every hour or so and if she's still settin' it's a go, if not hightail-it back to the 'bator...
You know Catscan, when I had 2 broody hens that I was picking up from my coworker, they both went off being broody after the 45 minute road trip. I strongly recommend that you take that sebright on a road trip to Iowa. I think that will cure her of the broodiness. Oh, I know, she could come for a holiday. Yeah, that's it....a holiday!
A Chicken Holiday Road Trip ROTFL (can i go)