[3Bluebelles]

Hi,

I have a hen who has gone broody. She's in a large run with 5 others, all hybrids. Over the last 3 days I have just turfed her out every evening when I get home from work, then closed off the nesting box so she can't get back in. The problem is that not only is she not laying, she seems to be stopping the others too! In the lasy 3 days I have had a total of 4 eggs from 6 of them, and normally it would be 4 or 5 a day.

Anyway, I have a day off so I thought this was an opportunity to keep an eye on her all day and try and break the habit. I have turfed her off already, and she's strutting around rosey angrily now. The problem is if I close off the nesting boxes now the others won't be able to lay again, and if I don't she'll be straight in again.

I'm on my own so can't do any major construction work, but I could possibly separate her into a run next to the others if you think that might help.

What do you all think?

We have thought about letting her hatch some eggs, but I don't think we are up to it yet, and the girls are in our back garden, so if we had boys they would be too noisy. (Does anyone know how old they are when they start crowing?)

Thanks very much,
Jacky (and Josephine the Speckledy)

 

[Casey76]

Boys can start crowing as eearly as 6 weeks for some breeds... but mine have generally been about 10 weeks.

Have you got a dog crate or a cat box you can put her in?  Preferable something with a mesh or slatted base which you can stand on a couple of bricks (or similar) to cool her off.

As long as she has food and water she will be fine being confined like this until the broodiness goes away.

I had a black rock who went very broody for... 3 days.  Now she is back to normal but still not laying 

[hillfooter]

Just to add to Casey's advice if you do confine her as she suggests then ensure she has shade in this hot weather.  Raising the cage ensures air circulation and helps cooling as can ocassionally dunking her brest in cold water.  A 2 -3 of days of this treatment and she'll stop.  Keep her in sight of the others though.
HF

[3Bluebelles]

No I haven't got anything like that today. I have managed to separate her into her own bit of the run. She's only got chicken wire between her and the others, and she's got food and water and shade, but she's pacing backwards and forwards and hissing at me!

The good news is that 2 of the other hens are on the nesting boxes, so hopefully I'll get some eggs today, and I hope she gets over it soon.

Should I let her back in with the others later when they have all laid (and block off the nesting boxes again) or should I wait until this evening and let her sleep with the others?

Thanks,
Jacky.

[joyfull]

leave her there all day and repeat it again tomorrow.

[themagicaltoad1]

I have a golden silkie who lays for 3 weeks then goes broody for 7 weeks, regular as clockwork! I've tried everything to break the habit but she's a persistant b***er I have the same problem about making sure the others have access to the nest box, so now I just keep turfing her out several times a day until I'm sure the others have laid then I shut the boxes off. My chicks are now 12 weeks old and the male started crowing for the first time 2 days ago. Fortunately I've found someone to take him but that won't be for a couple of weeks yet so my neighbours will just have to be patient for a bit.

[NooNoosdad]

  My Sympaphy goes out to you - We have three Black Rock Hens who are 22 weeks old now. For the past three days, our star Layer Annabelle has become Broody and has been constantly retiring to the Nesting Box. In the morning when I open the door from the Coop into the run, all the others come running out but I have to remove her and place in the Run so that I can carry out housekeeping chores. We've been able to bring her out into the Run or actually out into the Garden during the afternoons and evenings and at least she starts eating and drinking. I have noticed that she's been fluffing out her feathers and wanting to get up high by flying up onto and perching on the roof of the Run. We had Eggs from her for two days then yesterday, nothing. One Egg was laid today but not sure if it was hers. I noticed this morning that all three Hens were happily out in the Run but Annabelle has now returned to the Coop again. It is very frustrating but hopefully she will 'snap' out of it soon.....I hope !

[Casey76]

22 weeks is *very* young to go broody.  At that age spending a lot of time in the nesting bx is more likely to be trouble laying the egg (which may take some time... some of my girls are in their nest box for an hour or more!)

[3Bluebelles]

Well I think she's over it. 2 days on her own and she's stopped the angry behaviour. She is back in with the others today, and in fact I have just seen her go up to the nesting box, have a good look in, then walk away.

Now we just need to get them all laying again. It must upset the others too, as we have had only 1 or 2 eggs a day instead of the normal 4 or 5.

Thanks for your help everyone,

Jacky.
X

[Henlady]

One of mine went broody and it lasted 3 weeks, being new to this I thought she would get over it but in the end we started dunking her in a trug of water to cool her down and it seemed to work.  We then had 2 more who showed signs and they got the same treatment and they were over it in a couple of days.  I did feel mean doing it but it can't be good for them sitting inside all day in this heat.

[hillfooter]

Now we just need to get them all laying again. It must upset the others too, as we have had only 1 or 2 eggs a day instead of the normal 4 or 5.

The presence of a sitting broody I too think does suppress the others laying.  I guess they reckon there's no point as there's no one to sit on them.  Similarly just before the broody sits the egg production seems to peak as they try to assemble a clutch.
HF

[3Bluebelles]

Well I've had 3 eggs today so far, which is the most in over a week. Still none from Josephine though. I guess that'll take a few more days. And it is so hot today, and they do seem to lay less in the heat as well.

It's not a very exact science is it? But it keeps us on our toes.

X

[NooNoosdad]

  I'm getting well and truly P****d off with my Annabelle. As stated above she is a Black Rock Hybrid aged 22 weeks approx. and has acting very strangley query Broody for a whole week. Her behaviour consists of remaining in the Coop, lying in a Nesting Box, fluffing out her feathers and making noises even though the others are let out 1st thing. I deal with this by removing her physically from the Nesting Box and placing her in the Run. She is eating and drinking and cleaning her feathers etc. After about half an hour she tends to back into the Coop to once again lie in one of the Nesting Boxes. She is still laying but what is becoming irritaing is that over the past couple of days we have had two cracked eggs, one which I reckon she sat down on and another which had rolled/been knocked out of the Nesting Box into the droppings tray. All this Muppetry has clearly been affecting the other two Black Rocks, who have either stopped laying altogether or ceased. This is most frustrating