[ANHBUC]

   My Partridge Wyandotte Bantams are called Lotty and Dotty.

They were both broody so I bought some fertile eggs for them and put them in separate rabbit hutches.  They are now proud mums of 6 Welsummer Bantams and 5 Light Sussex Bantams. 

This could be the problem with your Lottie so you may have to try and break her broodiness.  Check to see if she has plucked the feathers from her breast if not it should be easier.  Make sure you remove any laid eggs as soon as possible.  One suggestion by Shetan was to put an ice pack wrapped in a towel in the nest box.  This keeps the hen cool which she will not want.  Others say to put the hen in a dog crate (the type with mesh base) and have it off the floor so she again will not be comfortable.  Put food and water in the crate with her and make sure she is sheltered from wind and rain (but not too cosy). 

The other option is to get some fertile eggs and let her sit but you will of course have cockerels to rehome which is not easy.

 

[Anndee]

Hi ANHBUC.
well its def. Lottie who is being silly. I can't say broody as she isnt/hasn't plucked any feathers out and she's not even sitting on any eggs. All of them have stopped laying since George went!!
Things have looked up a bit today though. As its been nice and sunny I turfed them all out and cleaned out the house and run. I've put food and water in the house and in two places in the run. they've been out most of the day until 1/2 hour ago when it began to rain a bit. Opened up the run gate and they all shot straight into the house, to bed!
I am a bit happier though as they have all had a bit to eat and been having a peck about on the grass. I am going to get some maggots for them tomorrow (they love those) and I will give them for their tea tomorrow and breakfast on sunday. that should give them a good bit of protein.
I certainly do not want to get any fertile eggs as I will only end up in the same situation of finding homes for cockerels. Bad enough finding a home for George. That wasn't easy. Their own eggs will probably still be fertile anyway, if they were laying any 
we'll see how things go but I think there is light beginning to show at the end of the tunnel
 I will try the dog crate if things don't improve. do you leave them outside in it, sheltered as you say, or in the garage? Will she still need to be in view of the other two? And does she stay in it all the time or go back into henhouse on a night?
I can see the logic of it, just not sure the rights and wrongs of doing it.
Anne

[ANHBUC]

That is an improvement.  I would avoid putting any food and water in the coop as this will only encourage them to stay indoors.  I have an old table that I hang a feeder under so they can shelter from the rain and still feed.  We have had good weather until about 4.30 today when the heavens opened.  My hens were still pecking about and just took shelter occasionally.  I have Black Rocks and Bovan Goldlines they don't seem to mind the wet weather.

It doesn't sound like Lottie is broody so I wouldn't use a crate as that is to stop her sitting on a nest.  They seem to be adjusting to life after George so they probably just need time and the encouragement to leave the coop.  Hopefully they will be back to normal for you going away.   

[elflady]

One of my hens, a Goldtop, frequently gets broody and will stay in the coop for about 2 weeks. I always lift her out twice a day and she will then have a little food and drink before she goes back in. After about 2 weeks she starts coming out for longer periods and then eventually stays out as normal.  I have used this hen, called Custard, to hatch Silkie eggs for my friend who lost most of her hens to a fox. She has just hatched her second brood (on Easter Sunday!) which means sitting on eggs in the coop for 3 weeks. Again I had to lift her off the eggs to eat and drink a little and would put a small bowl of food in front of her in the coop as I worried she would starve.  However, then I was worried she would stay out too long and the eggs would get cold. But she successfully hatched 4 lovely chicks.

[Anndee]

Its been lousy weather here today, so not been out much at all. Have had a bit to eat and they've had a few maggots tonight. Millie and Blackie have also found out they quite like yogurt but Lottie is still not really interested in much food. She is also getting quite aggresive trying to peck at my hand a lot. it doesn't bother me but she's not a very happy lady at the moment.

[ANHBUC]

Sounds like she is taking over as head hen and possibly being the protector as George has retired! 

[Anndee]

Well. A quick update.
 We've got back from hols early hours this morning and all the girls are alive and well!! We had a friend coming to check them out and he was so concerned he was popping in twice a day and talking to them  They had obviously been into the run to get some food and water as there were some hugemongous poops and scratched up areas, which gave the game away as I had cleaned it all out prior to going away.
When I opened up the run this morning, I noticed about 1/2 hour later, Lottie had decided she would take a stroll out onto the lawn. I still had to lift the other two Pekins off the nests ( no eggs) but they have been out all day today, admittedly not going far from the run but not desperate to get into it either.
 Soooo it looks like things might be picking up. Any idea how long it may take for them to get over not having George around, and is it all because they don't feel safe without him to look out for them?
at least we are moving in the right direction. I think   :blink:

[ANHBUC]

Hope you enjoyed ypur time away without worrying about your hens too much.   

Glad things are moving in the right direction.  They will come round in their own sweet time but the more you turf them out the quicker they should get used to it.   

[Chicken_Lover]

When my cockerel went, one of my hen's sulked for days.

[Anndee]

Bit better today. I still had to oick them out but the 2 pekins have been out most of the day, admittedly hunched up near to the house and run but coming away when I called them and gave them some treats. Lottie the Wyandotte was desperate to get in at lunch time so I let her go in as I thought she might want to lay, but she didn't. I left her in on her own anyway. I am going to start to feed & water them only outside of their run on the lawn, so they will have to start making a move.
I got them so live maggots on Monday and they have been enjoying those but it does take them a little while to get woken up when I've unceramoniously yucked them off the nest 
Onwards and upwards. So to speak 
ps We had a lovely time ANHBUC we went to Cyprus for the week and the weather was fab. Much better than here 

[Anndee]

Well, after reading Jontie's issue with her broody's 'Advice on broody hen', I am thinking that is what the issue is with these girls of mine. Albeit they are moving in the right direction now   but I still have to lift them out on a morning or else they would stay in the house permanently, I think.
I tried putting Lottie into a raised dog crate, with the base taken out, this morning but hubby felt it was unkind as she was trying to walk about on the mesh floor and didn't like it!! I told him that was the idea but he still thought it was cruel, so am having to forgo that one.
However they have been paddling about the garden all day in the sun and even come onto the back step this afternoon so things are beginning to get back to normality, I think.
How though do I get them to come out on their own on a morning when I get them up??
If they would just do that now all would be as it should be.
We are thinking of moving them out of this coop and putting them in an Eglu and run at the other end of the garden to try and break them of the habit. Is this a good idea??

Also has anyone any idea when they might start laying again? Its been 4 weeks now without any eggs and 5 weeks since George the cockerel went.
thanks
Anne

[Casey76]

It could be another four weeks, Anne -three weeks to hatch eggs, then five weeks for the "chicks" to become independent. that is the natural hormonal cycle

[Anndee]

Thanks for that Casey76 
Do you think moving them into another house and pen, further down the garden, is a good idea?