Broody Bantum

[Settle]

Bit of advice needed.... I have 2 bantams and a hybrid chicken ( only 1 old lady left) and one of my bantams is broody.... As far as I know they are both girls because I get too many eggs from them both to be boys and she will not get off all the eggs for over a week now!!!! She is even pushing the hens egg under her too and will not let me near!!!! Do I just leave her to it.?

[Nicos]

Up to you really.
As you have no male she's wasting her time.
Some of mine are broody for 3-4 weeks at a time and then just give up having lost a lot of condition.

It might be kind of you to try and stop her.
For some gals it's more stressful interfering than just leaving her to it and missing out on her laying eggs.
Or...if you are happy to dispatch your own males for eating then buy in some fertile eggs?

[Nicos]

Forgot to say...

I leave a wooden egg under my broody banties if we don't want to hatch any eggs ....and twice a day fish out any new eggs laid by the other gals.
Depending on her nature you may need to wear gloves... or be fast and gently grab her head so she can't peck you and have a quick furtle around under her.
The warmed eggs are fine to eat if only sat on for a few hours....

[muddled]

There are some things to consider.....

1. What condition is your girl in?
Is she a good weight? Been wormed recently? Feathers look good?
Hens lose a considerable amount of weight when brooding. They don't preen or take care of themselves at all...even to the point of starving themselves! If she were to have worms or mites or any other issue... they could overwhelm her while she's sitting.
So don't let her unless she's in tip-top nick.

2. Are you going to be around?
Some banties are fierce broodys and I've had some that won't eat or drink while sitting. So you need to (bravely!) lift her and dump her outside of the coop...bar access back inside....to allow her to poo, drink and eat. She'll be a bit cross and broody poops smell like nothing on earth! If the predicted heatwave starts tomorrow you will need to do this more than once a day. I feed my broody protein rich food while broody to keep her weight up...rinsed tuna, mealworms, a bit of corn and grit. I also put a little dish of water close to the nest so she can sip if she wants to...I don't think they do but it makes me feel better .

3. Your other birds.
Is she preventing your other girls from laying?
If so, consider giving her a nest of her own for the duration or making somewhere else for the other girls to lay. Broody hens can be so spiteful....if the other bantam is particularly timid don't force her approach her!

4. Got heavy duty gardening gloves?
She'll be stealing eggs and tucking them under her. You'll want to remove those...a warmed infertile egg three weeks old...hmmm...not nice! As time goes by she'll get practiced at pecking you. Get gloves. Thick ones!

I hope I've not put you off...if she's healthy and wormed I'd let her brood. If its her first time she might well snap out of it in a day or two anyway and none of the methods for stopping a broody are pleasant. I don't put a wooden egg under mine, it might be kinder to I don't know, but I don't in the hope that it ends sooner.

[Settle]

Thanks for all the advice I'm going to get my gloves put and move her out even if it's just to let him run straight back in but I just haven't got a clue how many eggs she is sitting on!!!!
She is only about 12 months but in good condition so hopefully she'll be fine.... I'll update you when my hands recover!!!!

[Scarlet]

I agree with what's already been said, it's pointless letting her waste a load of eggs, I would get her off every day.
Make sure you wear a coat as well as gloves, pick her up and tuck under your arm. Usually once they are picked up they stop being aggressive...

[muddled]

and you keep her out untill she stops going mental (usually takes about 3 or 4 mins) poops, drinks and eats. THen you can open the door again.

Its very impotant that you do this. I do it twice a day even if the bird is hatching fertile eggs....more in very hot weather.

[Scarlet]

^^^^You may think it's being cruel to take them off cos they really do throw major wobblys but they can get very run down and sick if you don't.