[bloomer]

She's still sitting tight I have sourced a very large rabbit hutch and run to use as her broody coop, i get the eggs for her tomorrow.


I'll move her tonight when she's sleepy and get her in her new home obviously she will have a drinker, what food does Mrs Broody need?


Is there anything else I could should do to make her time in there easier?

[Marches Farmer]

I give 24-hour access to layer's pellets and a little wheat to keep her crop full.  I don't lift a broody out every day as some folks do - I think that if their own brooding process has worked well for millenia it will continue to do so.  I set up a nest-shaped straw circle with fertile eggs and put her on it at dusk.  She'll normally settle down straight away.

[Womble]

Bloomer,

I'd move her tonight, but don't put fertile eggs under until tomorrow afternoon, once you're sure she's settled and still broody in the new place.
 
Sometimes I've moved them without any fuss, but occasionally they'll not settle in the new nest, and you've then wasted the eggs. I think in a rabbit hutch you'll be ok. It's just that sometimes they get straight up from wherever you've moved them to, and try to go back to the location of their own nest.
 
She'll also need a good supply of bubble bath, 'Your Pregnancy' magazines and Classic FM to keep the boredom at bay. Good luck! 

[lord flynn]

I let mine have wheat/corn/mealworms. Mine is a good broody in that she comes out daily for an hour or so to sort herself out. good luck, hens and chicks are great timewasters!

[sokel]

If I move one into a different place to brood I give her a couple of pot eggs to make sure she settles onto them, The next day if she is still sitting tight I then put the fertile eggs under her

[bloomer]

i don't have pot eggs but i can spare a couple of hers so i'll move her tonight...

[chrismahon]

You haven't said what breed she is Bloomer. Orpingtons need moving every day or their legs can be crippled. Most breeds can work that out for themselves, but not all reliably.

[doganjo]

She's a Maran, Chris - on the other thread.

[bloomer]

she's a big black maran with attitude...


if ferocity has anything to do with it she'll sit tight!!!

[Stereo]

You could pop some normal eggs under her until she's happy and then swap out for the fertile ones. Also, don't worry if she ejects any from the nest. It will be no good and she will know. This might happen latter in the process, I guess from smell. Clever chickens.

Also, if there are any other hens with access to the nest, you need to mark the fertile eggs as she will somehow magic other eggs into her clutch. We have no idea how they do this. Last year we were tempted to set up CCTV but I'm sure it would just go fuzzy at the crucial moment.

[bloomer]

she's now on her own in her new home, the others are glad to be back in there house (she really wasn't sharing) she is sat on a couple of unfertile eggs currently and they will be swapped for fertile tomorrow evening!!!

[sokel]

Good luck, at least its a good sign that she is still sitting after being moved . What kind of eggs did you get ?

[bloomer]

i have some marans coming from a fellow tas member tomorrow, the coloured eggs are earning a premium at the moment at mrs b's work so why not :-)

[sokel]

Don't blame you.  Everyone around here keeps asking for our blue and brown ones but we share them out among the boxes

[bloomer]

our current boxes are 2 maran 1 cream crested legbar 2 generic beige eggs and a random extra, although we got our first complaint today as the CCL eggs are noticeably smaller and someone didn't like the little egg!!!