Managing broodiness in flock

Faraz1

Songster
Aug 16, 2019
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So i have a flock of 10 hens and 1 rooster.

7 buff sussex
1 isa Brown
2 shamo hens

So far this year the 2 shamo hens went broody in spring, i successfully managed go break them using the dog crate method, although one took 2 days and the other 3.

Around 3 weeks back 1 shamo hen went broody again. After about a week in the dog crate there was no sign of her breaking so i left her in the coop (she was in a nesting box) whilst i popped some eggs in an incubator ( i didnt have enough space for a dedicated broody area)

Anyhow chicks now hatched 4 days ago, and i have made a dedicated enclosed space separate from the main chicken coop. The mama shamo that was broody was relocated and placed with the newly hatched chicks (6 of them) whom she accepted straight away.

Now the isa brown and other shamo have decided they want to stay in their nesting boxes and are displaying the typical broody behaivours (low clucking, growling and fluffing up feathers when trying to remove from nesting boxes)

I would like some advice on how to proceed.

Shall i take 4 chicks from the original mama shamo and give 2 each to both of these ones ?

Shall i try to break both together in a single dog crate ? (I am thinking i might have to freeze a water bottle and place it as it is quite warm these days)

Or shall i let them sit out in the nesting boxes and let them get 'bored'.

Unfortunately until the original mama shamo leaves the area i setup for her and her chicks last week i cant really see any of these sitting on eggs in another suitable place.

I am also slightly concerned that the broodiness is spreading throughout the flock and egg production seems to have slowed down with the buff suusex hens, however they dont seem to be showing broody behaviours yet !
 
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Lady of McCamley

Free Ranging
11 Years
Mar 19, 2011
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NW Oregon
Do not try to give the 4 day old chicks to the new brooders. They need to be setting for at least 2 weeks, 2 1/2 weeks is better, before they'll likely commit to mothering chicks. Shamo are game breed, so you might get lucky and she might accept...but the ISA is highly unlikely as her hormones won't be as strong.

I also wouldn't try to broody break in one box. That tight of quarters could cause quite a bit of friction, and they'd sit on top of each other defeating the purpose of air flow.

I'd let them sit it out in their respective nests. If you are of the mind, go ahead and give them eggs, just mark them, and remove fresh eggs daily. I've had some excellent general coop brooding as the flock simply adjusts to the babes (as long as mother and babes can get in and out of the coop to food and water).

There is more risk in main coop brooding...trampled chicks, broken eggs, switched nests, but if you are in the mind to try, you can also get great successes as well. It just depends on the flock.

my thoughts
LofMc
 

Ridgerunner

Crossing the Road
13 Years
Feb 2, 2009
28,988
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Southeast Louisiana
It depends on what you use for a broody buster. I have a brooder built into my coop that is 3' x 6' (1 meter x 2 meters) with a 1/2" hardware cloth floor. If I'm not brooding chicks that is my broody buster. I've had as many as 3 broodies in there at one time. No problems.

Shall i take 4 chicks from the original mama shamo and give 2 each to both of these ones ?
I agree with the others. No.

Shall i try to break both together in a single dog crate ? (I am thinking i might have to freeze a water bottle and place it as it is quite warm these days)
I assume you mean one of those wire dog cages, not a plastic pretty much enclosed dog crate. Those come in different sizes, not sure how big yours is.

Or shall i let them sit out in the nesting boxes and let them get 'bored'.
I would not. It is disruptive to the flock, especially as it sounds like space is tight. While they are not likely to die if you do that, they are more vulnerable to certain things.

Unfortunately until the original mama shamo leaves the area i setup for her and her chicks last week i cant really see any of these sitting on eggs in another suitable place.
I don't know what your coop looks like. Many of us let the hens hatch with the flock but in my opinion the tighter your coop is the more challenges you might have with that. To me this is another example of why I like extra room to give me flexibility to manage things as they come up. But you have what you have. A question. if you don't have room for a broody, do you have room to integrate new chicks or chickens?

I am also slightly concerned that the broodiness is spreading throughout the flock and egg production seems to have slowed down with the buff suusex hens, however they dont seem to be showing broody behaviours yet !
I typically do not see an increase in broodiness just because one goes broody. I have had multiple broody hens at the same time but I consider that coincidence. Usually it is just one.

I can't remember where you are located. If you are experiencing extremely hot weather it is normal for hens to cut back egg production. With your comment about ice I suspect it might be something like that.
 

Ridgerunner

Crossing the Road
13 Years
Feb 2, 2009
28,988
25,680
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Southeast Louisiana
I spent a year in the UK more than 4 decades ago. Those temperatures would seem hot to you but should not be hot enough to really bother the chickens. I don't think those temperatures are what is causing your egg production to drop.

The most common cause for production to drop is the molt. It's not the right time of the year for the fall molt but an out-of-season molt is possible. Are you seeing any feathers floating around?

Another common cause is that they are hiding a nest on you. I don't know how you house and manage them but they can be really sneaky about hiding a nest.

Something may be getting your eggs. Most critters leave some evidence when they eat eggs, either egg shells or damp spots. The typical critters that do not leave evidence are snakes, canines, or humans. A snake eats a few eggs then stays away a few days while it digests them, then comes back for more. If it is regular, it is not a snake. A fox would probably be more interested in your hens than the eggs so probably not a fox. But a dog could eat eggs while leaving the hens alone. Does a dog have access? A human doesn't always mean a thief. Some people think something like this could be a practical joke.

How old are the hens? Their production slows down as they get older.

Good luck. This type of thing can be really frustrating.
 

Faraz1

Songster
Aug 16, 2019
110
81
108
I spent a year in the UK more than 4 decades ago. Those temperatures would seem hot to you but should not be hot enough to really bother the chickens. I don't think those temperatures are what is causing your egg production to drop.

4 decades later i guess climate change has increased the overall temperature during summers :) anyhow thanks for the assurance

The most common cause for production to drop is the molt. It's not the right time of the year for the fall molt but an out-of-season molt is possible. Are you seeing any feathers floating around?

Not really, 2 of the hens are just over a year old (They were born in May 2021), and the other 5 are just over 6 months old.
 

Faraz1

Songster
Aug 16, 2019
110
81
108
By the way it is now Day 5 of keeping them locked up and they are still broody.
Although the low and slow cluck clucking has stopped when they are in the crate, when i open the cage they are still go and sitin the nesting boxes and flare up feathers when i try to remove them.
 

Faraz1

Songster
Aug 16, 2019
110
81
108
Day 11 and they are still broody. They are now no longer kept in crate. I take both hens out of main cage at 9am every morning and they stay outside the main hen cage basically free ranging but trying to get in. This happens all day till sundown at 9pm.

9pm when i open cage they go straight into coop and occupy their nesting boxes again.

How long can this behaviour last ?
 

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