I have several Bantham hens, and we all know how they love to set! Some of them have been setting for two months. How long is too long to set a hen in general? I have took some off the nest that hatched off some turkey eggs with the babies, and they went back on. What do you do?

-- Misha (SHOOTING4FUN@VALLNET.COM), July 14, 2001

Answers

I leave them alone! The birds give me so many eggs that I throw out a lot, so the occasional broody doesn't matter to me. Caging them off by themselves only works for a short time anyhow. I read an interesting way these folks break the broody hens. He dunks them in a bucket of water so they get soaking wet. The first day, they spend the rest of the day preening. Sometimes it works the first time. Sometimes the second day. But he says he's never gone past the 3rd day.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 14, 2001.

Rogo from PIE? Hey, nice to see ya over here. I just happened to find this board last week. Real nice and moves at a nice, rapid pace!

Misha, If you know right off you don't want/need chicks break that broody hen so she doesn't waste time setting for 3 wks with no chicks in the end.

Put her in a wire bottom cage. Has to be lifed slightly so the air flows under the cage (i use boards to lift it a few inches above the ground). Air needs to flow under her so she can't maintain the constant body temp a broody hen needs to set.

Provide plenty of fresh water & food for her and leave her in the cage for 2-3 days. When you take her out, if she goes back to the nest, put her right back in the cage for another day. You know her broodiness is broken when you take her out and she shows no interest in going back to her nest.

Good luck!

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), July 14, 2001.

I have Banthams too, we hatch 2 chicks and now we are hatching 2 more! Our last chick took 21 days to hatch.but it can be any where 3-4 weeks.After 4 they are usaly duds.I hope this helps Joy palmer or mom to be scrawny(my hen)

-- Joy Palmer (PlantationEgg@aol.com), July 14, 2001.