Broody Chicken lost her mind

[GSF]

We had two chickens start setting about 3 days apart. The one hatched her eggs about 3 or 4 days ago. The other one seem to can't remember where she left her eggs. She started on one nest then move next door to the other one. A few days later she was setting on the other side of the first nest. Then she's back and forth between the three. We quit putting eggs under her after about the 4th time. Well we gave her another chance after the other chicks hatched. Well today she left her eggs and is sitting on an empty nest on the other side of the chicken house. go figure. This behavior has been going on for about 4 weeks now.

[Michael Bush]

Some of them get it.  Some of them don't.

[RayMarler]

Fried chicken is sounding better and better?

[BeeMaster2]

What Michael said.
Sounds like she is just ruining a lot of good eggs. I have also had this happen. Time for KFC.
Jim

[10framer]

i was thinking boiled with carrots, celery and dumplings.  how much later in the summer will you let them hatch gary?

[Kathyp]

Lol.  i let one set this year and have one that has been broody for months.  i keep taking the eggs from her and she keeps trying to set on anything that's laid.  every morning i pick her up and toss her on the floor to eat and drink.  then she's back on the nest for the day.  she's got it bad and i wish i knew how to break her of it.

GSF, i'd just keep taking the eggs from her.  i'll be interested to hear from some of the chicken experts if there is a way to break them of this or will they just get over it when the daylight changes?

[Kathyp]

Hey! my hen must have been reading this forum.  this AM when i opened the coop, she shot out with the rest of them.  she was acting (almost) normal.  it's like a switch flipped in her :-D

[LaurieBee]

I have a hen that has gotten broody this time for the last two years. Last year we let her sit on some fertilized eggs from a friend. She raised them and was done. She's at it again. I wouldn't mind a few more hens but haven't found the fertilized eggs I want. It was a joy watching her raise those chicks. Of course we are easily amused.

[BeeMaster2]

I have a hen that has gotten broody this time for the last two years. Last year we let her sit on some fertilized eggs from a friend. She raised them and was done. She's at it again. I wouldn't mind a few more hens but haven't found the fertilized eggs I want. It was a joy watching her raise those chicks. Of course we are easily amused.

Was she free range or caged.
Our free ranged were good at sitting but the minute the chicks hatched they would peep so much the preditors would get them and often times the hens. Our Rhode Island Reds and Americannas in the hen houserarely sit.
Jim

[Kathyp]

Lauriebee to bad you are so far away.  i have been selling fertilized eggs this year like crazy. 

I have to keep mine in a fenced and netted yard.  it's pretty big, but no free range.  to many predators around here all the time.

[LaurieBee]

We let them range for most of the day. They go back to a completely enclosed pen for the night. We found one dead this morning and another is missing. Not sure what has happened to them. I think it may be a cat we recently aquired. I have one Barred Rock left, my broody hen. They have been great layers with a great disposition.
In this picture this hen is perched on my fiance's foot, as he sat crossed legged in a patio chair after removing his boots.
I now have a strange mixture of hens left; one Road Island Red, one Light Brahma, one Barred Rock, two Americanna, and one Banty rooster we rescued. Were going to wait until spring to get more so we don't have to winter feed them.

[Michael Bush]

>it's like a switch flipped in her

Yes, hens have a three way switch:
Regular hen
Broody hen
Mother hen

And the changes seem quite sudden.

[10framer]

laurie,
barred chickens don't do well here either.  i'm guessing they're dumb and/or slow.   

[GSF]

Poor thing. She's been setting since the 3rd of July. She ain't setting on nothing either, nor will she stay in the same nest. I hope I find time and remember to put her in a cage with a nest of eggs.

[GSF]

Well I made time to put her in the goat transport cage with a nest in a big can. I got everything braced and put about 8 eggs inside of the can after I layed it on its side. When I put her in there she would have nothing to do with that place. All she wanted was to get out and get back to her make believe eggs. After a couple of hours she saw the egg nest in the can. Then a light bulb come on. Now she's setting and grinning from ear to ear.

[LaurieBee]

That's what I did with my broody hen last year. I just tucked then I'm under her and she was very happy. We thoroughly enjoyed watching her raise those chicks.

[GSF]

Well the saga continues..,

Poor ol gal. She was happy and content with her new nest and surroundings. Yesterday my wife said, it sure looks like a lot of feathers in her
pen. She's okay. So I went out and crawled in the cage and check her out. She's okay, however, the 8 or 10 eggs she had was reduced to 4, today down to 2. I put a fake egg under her. I'm convinced it's a chicken or rat snake that's robbing her out. There's no sign of egg shells anywhere. I've been out there twice tonight but haven't seen anything. A predator usually hunts the hardest a couple of hours before or after dark or daylight. A snake don't go by that rule. I think she's going for the record on the longest broody period.

[Kathyp]

put her up high until the babies come.  then pen her somewhere safe. 

[LaurieBee]

I don't think we've had snake issues but we have had raptors. Mostly owls. I try not to condemn an animal for what it is but I sure get annoyed when the chickens and eggs disappear.

[Kathyp]

 i have had to net my chicken yards for that reason.  i can't leave them running loose because we have to many 4 leg predators, and the hawks and owls are thick.  the net seems to do the trick, but that's a lot of net!   :-D