[ponylady]

One if my girls has gone broody, so I gave her some dummy egos to sit on. She has been quite dedicated, so I got some hatching eggs yesterday. I set up a broody box and at bedtime went to move her and her pretend babies, thinking I'd pop the real, eggs under her this morning. Anyone passing would have thought I was killing her! She rushed around her broody pen, extremely distressed, and although the other 2 girls and the cockerel weren't bothered, she "forgot" she was broody! She left me no option but to pop her back in with the others, as by dark she was still distressed.
So .....
Is she not properly broody? She gave me every indication she was.
Can I pop the eggs in for her to hatch "at home"? There is a chance one of the others will go broody too, and would sit with her.
Should I just get tough with her and move her again this evening?
How long can I store hatching eggs for?
How should I store hatching eggs?

[devonlady]

The thing to do would have been to wait until dark, quietly put your hand under her, slip out a dummy egg and put a real one in, doing this every 15 minutes or so until all the eggs were under her.
 Put the dummy eggs back in the nest, leave well alone and hope she goes back to them then try the above tonight

[ponylady]

Her pretend babies were warm at breakfast time, so I popped the real eggs in. I thought I would risk it, as the eggs wont last forever. I am pleased to report she is happily sitting on them. Phew! Next problem will be the chicks in with the cockerel.

[in the hills]

Hi 

Some broody hens will move anywhere and at anytime and accept anything but others are more tricky and won't necessarily continue to sit when you try to move them.

Can you block off the area that she is in so that the other hens can't get to her?  (I take it she is now sitting in her usual coop with other hens and the cockerel).  If not, they could cause problems by interfering with the eggs when she gets off to feed, drink and poop. Also they could lay in with her and you'll have eggs at different stages of development.

Once the eggs are hatched and the chicks dry and accepted by mum, you should be able to move the new family and mum to a broody coop. It wouldn't be safe for the chicks to stay in a coop with other hens/cockerel. They could attack and kill them. Also chicks will need different food to the other hens etc.

HTH

[ponylady]

Mummy hen (she is a Pekin Bantam), is being very sensible, and popping out to feed when I put the feed in, then going back to her nest. I am still collecting the eggs from the other 2 girls, so there is no chance of any more babies yet. However, from what I saw this evening  that wont be the case for very long .... I can't shut her in, that wont work with my set up. Someone will have to move once its almost hatching time ....

[in the hills]

We have Pekin Bantams.  They are brill mums.  Ours all move really easily before and after chicks.  Only ever had problems with other breeds that went broody and then we used the pekins as surrogate mums!   

They are constantly going broody though! 

[Kimbo]

now Im dying to know what you saw that meant no more babies are likely!
Has your cockerel been given a beating?

[Marches Farmer]

If you want to keep the broody where she is can you rig up a temporary shack for the others?  So long as it's dry and fox/badger proof it can be made of wood, puppy panels, pallets, corrugated iron, old fireguards .....

[ponylady]

Lol, I meant there was no chance of anymore babies as I was taking the eggs away. However, I have just cracked open a fertile egg ...so I think I'll let nature take its course with the girls. Will poor Gus (the cockerel) be ok in an ark on his own
My broody still refuses to be moved

[Kimbo]

one of my Cream Lagbar pullets ( well....maybe better described now as POL) went missing yesterday and stayed out all night. I was frantic and barely slept.
Today my son finally found her in 4ft high nettles behind the stables. She has been living a secret little life and had herself a lovely nest containing 17 ( Yes! That's seventeen) eggs!!
She was mightily cross when I moved her and bit me quite badly......sad story really as we don't have a cockerel!!
She's now sulking and Im wondering whether any of these eggs are edible!
Float/Sink test tomorrow