vicious broody!

[farmerjon1988]

hi all

my hens broody and she has been sitting on her eggs for 12 days
i wanted to candle the eggs tonight but when i tryed to put my hand under her she started pecking hissing and growling at me and she has made my thumb bleed

i was just wondering if anyone has any tips on getting the eggs or making her less vicious?

cheers

 

[darkbrowneggs]

Mine aren't usually that aggresive, but thick leather gardening gauntlets would probably work. I can usually lift the lid of my broody coops and then pick them off the top, but make sure they havent got eggs under their wings

Very often a good broody will turf any bad eggs out of the nest and I have generally found candling is not all that necessary.

I will be interested to hear what experiences others have had
All the best
Sue

 

[dorinda]

It's because she's a very good broody that she pecks, I don't use broodies now (couldn't find one that took 190 eggs at a time) but when I did I never candled, and the nastiest were always the best broodies and mothers - I would leave her well alone forget about candling and let her do her job - which up till now she has been doing brilliantly 08 08

 

[lwescott]

I always candle, probably too much, but thats just me being interested in development 0 :lol:

Agree with others - Pecking and screaming is a good thing! :lol:
You could try to candle at night when she should be dosy and hopefully not notice. I had an egg lume and a little pen battery candler so would take the pen one outside to candle at night.

'Cos mine are just pets they're normally quite good with me and let me pick them up and handle the chicks after they hatch

 

[ncotb]

Yep shes a good broody! Though saying that a LS banty I had could be awful yet when broody was an absolute sweetheart. Have got a broody serama at the mo, she really hisses :lol: I dont bother candling as Im no good at it.

 

[victorias poultry]

I have a light sussex bantam broody at the moment who is exactly the same. I tend to candle the eggs when she is off the nest eating, I take half and check those then replace and check the other half.

 

[farmerjon1988]

will she peck me if i try to pick up her chicks?

and also is she ment to stay on the eggs for the last 3 days or is it ok if she gets off to feed?

 

[foxy]

If she has sat tight this long, she will know instinctively what to do. It is perfectly fine for her to leave her eggs for a bit even at this stage, the last thing she wants is to spoil her nursery!

 

[farmerjon1988]

oh ok cool cheers for that i was worried lol