Kitchen Garden Forum

Urgent help required please. We have one black banty who has suddenly decided to sit in the nest box - all day today so far. She got quite upset when I tried to shoo her outside this afternoon, so does this mean that we have a mini run to construct to keep her in and what should happen next?

Don't panic, just turn her off the nest as often as possible. She'll keep going back but persist in moving her on. It's normal and it can last for some time although it's very early in the year for this behaviour.

Hello Tea-shot
Another method that works quite well is to make a very simple enclosure of chicken wire and keep your broody in it during the day, together with water and food of course. You need to deny her the opportunity of snuggling down and getting warmed up underneath. Do keep an eye on the weather at this time of year, she will need a simple roof so that she can keep out of the rain and snow. I just put our outdoor table on the grass and run a roll of wire round it. She will need to go back in the house at night at this time of year.
Hopefully she'll get fed up with this game fairly quickly and soon be back to normal.
Of course you could slip a few fertile eggs under her and let her do the mother thing!

John

Thanks for that. I had a list of DIY items to get my dear hubby started and now I don't need to bother till later.

Why not get her some fertile eggs to hatch?

Or you could try some duck eggs.
Here is one of my broodies last year with her "chicks". She loved them dearly for six weeks or more.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r30/ ... 1632-1.jpg

Still trying to post photos properly sized

Alan