Mother of Chickens/anyone who knows poultry?

[JillA]

I have a couple of bantams, one is a Polish and was given to me last year. She should have started laying late September and both she and the other (an Appenzella) started laying three or four times a week, but stopped when the cold weather arrived and didn't lay any more until the warmer weather in late Spring. At which point little Polish went broody (no males in the vicinity) stayed that way for several weeks - I had to close off the nest box altogether so the Appenzella stopped laying too. Then she settled and we had about four eggs a week, not sure if any were hers as they are so similar, but now the blimmin thing has gone broody again!! Is this normal for birds that are more ornament than use lol and is there anything I can do (short of giving them away and getting some lovely ex bat Warrens)? TIA

 

[Clodagh]

Polands are not normally that broody, but you are unlucky! With my wyandottes I put them in a sin bin the first night they try to stay in the nest box and they are up and about again in 2 days and laying again after a week. If you let her sit she will just take longer to get going again.
No noe ever got either of those breeds for their egg reliablility!!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

anything other than commercial hybrids are likely to go broody if it gets hot enough ime. just keep taking them off the nest-shut them out if you have to, I've never resorted to sin bins but then I've never had one of the really dedicated broodies except for some silkie crosses and they were ace, started laying again as soon as chicks were 6 weeks old.

thank your lucky stars you don't have broody muscovies-I have 6 atm and they keep beating everything else up as well as me! if you let them sit they don't lay again that year and if you don't, it can still be 2 months before they start laying again.

 

[{97702}]

I apologise for being random and irrelevant, but I genuinely had never realised that MoC actually keeps chickens....... !!!!

 

[Leo Walker]

Polands and Appenzellzers arent known for their huge egg production. They are very pretty though! If the Poland is going broody then a dog crate off the ground so the air can circulate underneath should break her out of it. My serama went broody and sat on a clutch, then killed the chicks so shes in disgrace and next time she goes broody I will "break" her.

The simple answer is to get a couple more hens though, which will boost egg production. I have mine mainly as decorative freeloaders but we do get enough eggs that we never need to buy them

 

[Nudibranch]

Sin bin! I have to do it regularly with the Cochins but it only takes 2-3 days. Recently I had 4 go broody at the same time...for some reason, since the rooster died, they seem to have got worse. His eventual replacement is only 10 days old, so might be a while before things return to normal!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I apologise for being random and irrelevant, but I genuinely had never realised that MoC actually keeps chickens....... !!!!

clue's in the name I actually have more ducks now but I work with poultry as well.

 

[JillA]

Update!! She got up without being asked this morning She is so funny when she has to be fetched out though, she fluffs up and tries to look big and threatening........................doesn't really work well with a bantam!

 

[Clodagh]

I had a 'dotte hen who I used to have to muzzle with a flowerpot to go near. She would lift herself up on your arm, by her beak. She growled like a dog - scary!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I think bantams are worse-overcompensating for their size lol. The only pure breeds I've had that never went broody were LF Minorca-they were also far and away the best egg layers for purebreds I've kept as well. with some breeds such as silkies, being broody is kind of their raison d'être (like muscovy hens) and I think its quite mean to never let them sit.