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Barnyard Buddies:  Broody Hen+No Rooster=Help!  |
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mrs. graham
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Marqueta
Shelley
ID
50 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 20 2007 : 09:09:03 AM
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Does anyone have any ideas for convincing a hen that she's just not gonna be a mama any time soon? Our rooster died four months ago, and one of my girls has been sitting on eggs for about three months now, just as determined as can be that they're going to hatch! I've tried explaining to her how things work, but she just won't listen to reason!
~Marqueta
"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray."~Thomas Gray
http://members.aol.com/sweetefelicity My blog http://sweetefelicity.blogspot.com/ |
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LadyCrystal
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Alicia
Rhode Island
USA
593 Posts |
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PlumCreekMama
True Blue Farmgirl
730 Posts
Heather
Iowa
USA
730 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2007 : 2:35:57 PM
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| Yep, take them away. I have a hen that is broody almost every day and I have to fight to get the eggs from her. So be careful so you don't get pecked. Plus, be careful with those eggs! Some of those stinkbombs may break very easily and you don't want that on your hands! YUCK! |
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mrs. graham
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Marqueta
Shelley
ID
50 Posts |
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Bee Haven Maven
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
Beverly
Pennsylvania
USA
1862 Posts |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2007 : 12:51:08 PM
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Ok....I'm gonna ask a really stupid(?) question and feel like I'm back in the 7th grade.   Do chickens lay eggs automatically without the union of the rooster? Are the eggs fertilized after the eggs are layed? From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the eggs are not going to produce chicks, so I'm guessin' that the eggs have to be fertilized outside of the chicken?? Ok, I'm an idiot!! We'll get that out of the way! 
"To have life in focus, we must have death in our field of vision." Benedictine monk John Main |
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mrs. graham
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Marqueta
Shelley
ID
50 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2007 : 12:59:52 PM
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Don't worry, Judy,
You're not dumb! I guess I'd say when a rooster's not around, laying an egg for a chicken is like menstruating for us, they lay them but they're not fertile. They mate pretty much like other animals (am I going to get in trouble for writing that?), and the eggs gets fertilized on the inside, then when they come out, they can turn into a chick! Whew! That was a tricky one!
~Marqueta
"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray."~Thomas Gray
http://members.aol.com/sweetefelicity My blog http://sweetefelicity.blogspot.com/ |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2007 : 1:01:16 PM
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Ooooooh....now I understand. Thank you for the answer, Marqueta! Judy
"To have life in focus, we must have death in our field of vision." Benedictine monk John Main |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2007 : 2:18:23 PM
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Ok, now I'm going to take a refresher course on 'Biology 101'! Now my second question....which came first, the chicken or the egg? 
"To have life in focus, we must have death in our field of vision." Benedictine monk John Main |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2007 : 11:53:46 AM
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| The chicken of course. An egg needs heat and a warm momma to incubate! |
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mrs. graham
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Marqueta
Shelley
ID
50 Posts |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2007 : 1:22:03 PM
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That's what I like about this site, always learning something new!
"To have life in focus, we must have death in our field of vision." Benedictine monk John Main |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2007 : 03:45:03 AM
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I have silkies that go broody all the time. Even in winter. Seems like whenever there are more than 3 eggs and I forget to collect every day, bammo, at least one goes to setting. Kind of funny when this summer 3 decided to set. So there were 3 fuzzy silkie bodies all crammed next to each other in the same box.
You'd have thought the heat would have gotten to them sooner! |
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mrs. graham
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Marqueta
Shelley
ID
50 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2007 : 07:29:39 AM
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That is too funny! I guess I should be grateful I only have ONE that does it! By the way, she's now eggless and goes out with the others, but still clucks.
"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray."~Thomas Gray
http://members.aol.com/sweetefelicity My blog http://sweetefelicity.blogspot.com/ |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2007 : 08:59:59 AM
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| Yea, it's kind of weird to see. Like the mom to be goes into a kind of trance. she gets this crazed look in her eye and is at unrest even if she has to get off to void herself or drink. |
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Onionhead
Farmgirl in Training
22 Posts
Melissa
Oklahoma
22 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2007 : 08:18:14 AM
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| I have 4 hens and one of them is way more broody bound than the others.......seems like forever that she's broody and the cluckin, oh the cluckin.......I always take the eggs out from under her, because keeping them there will only make it worse. I always take her from her nest too and make her go out with the others......even if it's just for a while and she goes running back up, I think it helps and I do that with all of them when they go broody! And yes even when they start to stay out longer with the others running around, they still go the cluckin goin on.....just a phase I think and she will eventually snap out of it! I love the little dance they do around the others, telling them to STAY BACK LOL! Too funny! Good luck with your broodies.......:) |
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Barnyard Buddies: Broody Hen+No Rooster=Help! |
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Broody Hen+No Rooster=Help!
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