Dang chickens...another broody?

[Dace]

Ok, so Willy my missing broody finally gave up on her "nest"....she was spending more and more daylight hours with the other two girls so I locked her in the coop at bedtime one night and that was the end of that

Now I have one who was sitting in the nest box last night when I shut the coop door, was still in the box this morning and IS STILL IN THE BOX NOW!

Advice? I feel bad disturbing her, she looks pretty peaceful sitting there, but those eggs are not gonna hatch

How long will she sit there without eating?

 

[miss_thenorth]

Broodies will get up once or tiwce a day to eat, drink and poop (think huge poop)

Seeing how all my eggs are fertilized, I just let them sit, but we have been having an unfortunate spring so far.
\
I had one muscovie, who decided a drawer in the counter in my GARAGE would be a good place to sit, had her nesting time interrupted when the drawer wiggles out of the counter.

My broody silkie.cochin cross, decided to sit in one of the nesting boxes. We marked the eggs, becasue the other hens would sit push her out to lay their eggs, Eventually the marks wore off the eggs, and we had suprises in the morning. so her eggs are gone. (it was hubby's idea to leave her int he nest box.--NOT again)

I have two muscovies who are sharing the nest. they started out with 16 eggs, and I have no idea how many the have now, as, with two of them, I can't get near the nest to check. I have noticed every now and again, one will take an egg out and put it mear their water dish-obcioulsy bad. they should have hatched by now, so I will have to go inthere and check.

I also have another muscovy making a nest, and there are 5 eggs so far.

We'll see......

As far as setting them straight, since they're not gonna hatch anything, I have no advice, other than removing the eggs, (since I always let them sit.)

 

[Dace]

Hmmm......dang it. Well whatever eggs she is sitting on I assume I can not eat since they are not fertile and have been being kept at body temp for the last 24 hours. :/

Dang chickens.

 

[Wildsky]

I have a banty sharing a nest box with a muscovy! Its hillarious they've been sitting for a couple of weeks - we just keep taking the eggs out - we don't want more baby chicks.

 

[justusnak]

Definately take her eggs away. Since they wont hatch. If she has been on them for 24 hrs, nope, I wouldn't eat them. Just go in every morning, take her off the nest, and put her in the yard....eventually she will just give up.

 

[Beekissed]

Awww, Dace....go to TSC and get her a couple of babies! Ya meany! A couple more chickens won't be any trouble.....

I've got a broody on hold right now...got her sitting on a few eggs so I can keep her broody until June 7th so I can get her to take care of my chicks that are coming in the mail! She's sitting on four but will wake up one morning with 20....

 

[Dace]

Wildsky....that must be quite a sight! I think that would make a great pic of the week

Justy...thanks, thats what I'll do....poor girl.

Bee....oh how I wish I could! I woudl do that in a heart beat BUT we are moving in a month and I am fairly certain that my three girls will have to go to a new home

I have told my Hubby how you all sneak babies under broody hens...I think it is a genius idea!

 

[rebecca100]

Most of mine have to go too. We are leaving in a week to stay with in-laws. I can keep a few chickens, my turkey, pair of geese and pair of ducks. Everything else has to go. My poor goose fought hard to get to set and I am going to have to take them from her a week before they hatch. She laid ONE egg over a month ago and dh took it away and then she found some duck eggs last week and has been sitting on them ever since. Maybe I can convince dh to put off the trip by a few days to let them hatch.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I have a broody that I'm breaking up right now. She has been sitting for weeks on NO eggs. Normally, I keep them in their coop and run (to keep them out of the garden) but I've locked her out of both today with the hopes that the garden will keep her distracted enough not to try to sit anywhere. Of course, she has access to food and water as well. I keep trying to occupy her "mind" by offering various worms and I'm preparing more gardening beds. She occassionally will try to get in the coop/run but more and more is distracted by finding bugs and nibbling on weeds.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I just learned the other day what the broody growl was. Fierce!
Beek friend has like 10 older ladies and every one of them has gone broody in the last 3 weeks. Jealous! Although he did try all last year to encourage them to be broody and it means I can't get fresh eggs in trade for now.