OK, so chicken experts, give me your tried and true methods of dealing with chickens who want to sit on the nest all the time?
My littlest girl (who has suddenly grown in size, but I think she's just puffing and fluffing herself up) went broody yesterday and I spent a little bit earlier on today trying to keep her off the nest after collecting one egg and allowing the other girl to lay. She certainly isn't like the previous older girls were when they were clucky - they'd just let me reach in, pick them up and put them on the ground and take the eggs. Not this one, she squarked, pecked, scrabbled and fought her way to stay on the nest. I wouldn't mind so much, except that we're going away soon and have a friend coming to collect the eggs (and Simon has just fixed up the little door through the side of the coop and into the nesting box for her to do that), but there's no way she'll be able to do it with her in there defending the eggs like that.
I tried covering the box with a blanket for the rest of the day to keep her out, but nope, she pushed her way past that and sat in the dark anyway.
5 comments:
Put her in a broody cage. Basically a wire cage with no where to sit on eggs. If she cn havea non laying friend with her great if not she'll cope by herself
Normally a few days will do it.
HAHAHA
This has always been my experience - they all attack me hehe
As a thought would you like some fertile eggs? - Rory still works we had proof yesterday we had one egg hatch GRIN finger crossed its a hen.
Love Leanne
I haven't had my girls go broody yet...I'm beginning to think it was bred out of them. They've been laying for a year now and none of the three has brooded. I always show them the eggs and thank them...once one went back in and checked the nest after I showed her the eggs, but that is as close to broody as I have seen.
I have always read to isolate them for a spell. Sort of what Cleatherocreations said!
Yep a broody cage is the way to do it. Air under the bum, no hay to snuggle up in. Sorts them out in a few days.
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