one of my banties went broodylast week, so I got her some fertile eggs, now,, another banty is going broody,, why cant they all go broody together?? If she satys on the "eggs" for this weekend,, Ill get her some fertile ones also.

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), July 03, 2002

Answers

My hen has decided to set out another nestful too. I think it's the heat. A friend of mine has an Aracuana setting on 6 peacock eggs & when they hatch I'm trading her 6 ducks for a couple of peachicks. Granny , don't you have peacocks? Is there anything special or different I need to do for them once I get them?

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), July 03, 2002.

Think that Kathy hit it right on the head, found an article that relates weight to broodiness. Seems that in the heat chickens reduce intake due to the heat and that this reduced weight cause an onset of broodiness.

“As temperature increases, a hen has to either increase heat loss or reduce heat production to survive. The scope to increase heat loss comes from an increased evaporative heat loss (panting). Heat production can only be reduced by reducing feed intake and ultimately egg production. In these circumstances it is advisable to allow the hen to both maximise heat loss via management techniques (increased air speeds etc.) and also to minimise metabolic heat production by reducing the amount of heat produced as a result of digesting and metabolizing the feed consumed.” www.but.co.uk/pdf- files/Articles/Feed-Hens.pdf

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), July 03, 2002.

Thanks BC, I didn't know exactly why it happened that way, but it always seemed that they went broodier(is that a word?) when it got really hot. Isn't nature amazing!!

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), July 03, 2002.

Kathy don't under estimate the power of observation. Reminds me of the person that figured out that disease was carried by mosquitos, simply by noting that a disese did not occur above a certain altitude (the altitude at which mosquitos did not live), he did it with a simple notebook and observations.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), July 04, 2002.

We have an Auracuna who would not come out of the coop. She found a small, dark space and stayed there for nearly a week. I thought it was due to the weather because it had recently turned very cold and snowy. I also thought she might be ill or hurt. Finally, I decided to bring her out. I couldn't believe what I found: she was sitting on 23 eggs! I know that most were not her own, but other hens because she only lays light blue eggs, and most of these were brown. I got rid of the nest that she made and she seems back to her old self. I am wondering whether I should discard all of those eggs. I immediately refrigerated them but haven't yet eaten any or fed them to the family. Any thoughts on this?

-- tim winicov (twinicov@aol.com), December 16, 2002.

you may have wanted to candle them before refridgerating them, ,see if any was goign to hatch,, then use the water test for freshness on the ones that didnt candle. Right now, you may have 23 eggs that may be close to hatching. If you DONT have a rooster,, then you dont need to worry about that, but still water test for freshness

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), December 16, 2002.

im a first timer with chickens and i have one that i asume is broody , ( this is her second season for laying ) she has been sitting on the nest for over a month , i take the eggs away from her each day , ( others lay and she takes them ) she comes of to eat and drink and appears healthy , what do i have to do with her ? , please help me . thanks

-- barbara huggett (huggie_59@hotmail.com), October 19, 2003.

if you keep taking the eggs away,, she will break soon if she has been on them for over a month

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), October 19, 2003.

I've only got 1 rooster and 3 chickens but 2 have been broody for 5 weeks now - I've removed their eggs but still they just sit there. One inside the coop defending her ground and the other outside in a nest I found she's made. Help - how do I get them back to normality?

-- Diz (brookesmore@hotmail.com), October 23, 2003.

it is "normal" for them to go broody,, the things suggested may work, or may not. She will quit sooner or later

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), October 23, 2003.

i was wondering how old a hen has to be before u can get it to hatch some eggs

-- charlie meeeee (terriboy@hotmail.com), February 18, 2004.

if she can lay an egg, she can hatch them, if the eggs are fertile,, but , all hens may not want to hatch the eggs, some do, and some dont

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), February 18, 2004.

My silkie cross started laying 7 weeks ago and went broody 4 weeks ago...isn't that a bit soon? She comes out for only 30 mins per day to eat and is wasting away..her eye is now infected (I'm treating it!) and I'm worried about her health. Is it possible for a hen to die if I can't bust up her brood?

-- Pixie (pixie@mail2fairy.com), May 30, 2004.

no it's not to soon as far as I no. I have a hen that couldn't have been laying 12 days when she started to go broody.If she can lay em she can hatch em they say and it's troue if you have a roo

-- cribbs (foo@bar.com), September 12, 2004.