Chicken problems again...

dominobrown

dominobrown

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I think my hen (the only one that is laying, other are approaching point of lay) as gone broody. She has been sitting all day on the egg, yesterday she sat all day too, but I took the egg away. As a chicken novice what am I meant to do? Take the eggs away? I have boot food and drink nearby so she doesn't have to go far. Problem is the egg is unfertilsed as a don't have a cockeral so its never going to hatch. She is a silkie cross, I have heard they are prone to going broody.
 
keep taking the eggs away and you literally have to cool the hen down which means take her away from any tempting nesting sites and eggs. Some people put broodies in rabbit hutches, other coops - anything which will break the brood. You might get away with turfing her off every few hours but she will soon go back to brooding if she has access to any nest site. After a few days she should have got it out of her system. Good luck - it can be rather annoying if you dont want a broody...
 
Apparently if you sit the hen on a marble slab it'll get her out of her brood quickly, coz hens (or anyone else for that matter!!) don't like getting their bums cold! and if they're not comfy they won't stay sitting.

OR you could get an egg collecting cage, you know the wire ones (like they'd use in intensive farming) where the hen has nothing underneath her but wire & air! Does the same thing.
 
Take her out of the hen house and shut and nesting box if possible.

As others have said, cool her down. Another way is to sit her on a wet sponge and also pick her up and gently throw her forwards so that she has to flutter down.

Silkies are notorious for going broody.
 
I agree keep taking the eggs away, They aren't going to hatch anyway.
There is loads of chickens at the yard they just walk around the field then come back in the evening when they are called for tea and put away in the stable away from the foxes.
Good idea about not letting her anywhere near a nesty place, also you coul try the cold slab thing. Not sure if it will work though - it's worth a try.
 
And will the chicks make wonderful eating? I don't know if I could ring their necks :/
I am not one for breeding for the sake of it, I would much rather have a manageble number!
 
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