Broody?! Is it my fault!

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Flowerpower136

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Broody?! Is it my fault!
« on: August 16, 2016, 19:09 »
Hello again, I need some advice please.
Had our point of lay girls nearly 3 months now. All have been laying and developed into lovely hens.  We had a few soft shells, and eggs laid in weird places to start with. So I put some fake eggs in to give some guidance, and we are now getting a good number of perfect eggs all laid in the nest boxes.  I guess what I should have done was remove the fakes, but I didn't.
And now I think Speckle has gone broody. She went into the nest box late this afternoon and didn't come out.
I've just been in to investigate, and oh dear God, she behaving like something off the Exorcist!
I don't want her sat in there for weeks.  We dont have fertile eggs, and I dont want chicks anyway.
What should I do? Go in with gauntlets and get the fake eggs away? Or just leave her?
Never had a broody hen before.

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LILLILEAF

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2016, 19:25 »
Hi
Yes it sounds like she is broody,what i do with my hens if ever they go broody is,do you have either a dog crate or cat box,remove her from where she is,wear gloves but hold her tight and put her in a cage with her food and water,and some shavings or straw not to much you don't want her to be comfortable she will be in a bad mood just leave her there for at least a week.
 This has always worked for me,plus if you leave her where she is she will be putting the others off going to lay their eggs.Lillileaf

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Flowerpower136

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2016, 19:40 »
Thanks Lillileaf. I'd decided to try to nip it in the bud as she's only been in there 3 hours. So have just been in with gloves on and lifted her out. I've sneaked the fake eggs away. She's currently drinking and eating in the run, and fingers crossed will lose interest in her new hobby when she finds the eggs have gone,
Just reading another suggestion on line, and that's to open the lid of the nest box, once everyone has laid  and eggs collected. That might work because they are usually all done by lunch time. So, if she goes back I'll try that first and if that fails I'll get the dog crate out.  ::)
Appreciate your advice.
Fake eggs are now put away. They've done their job and then some!

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LILLILEAF

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2016, 05:50 »
Hi
 What i have found if you don't shut them in away from the nest area she will keep going back to the same place even if there are no eggs.

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Mr R Design

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2016, 06:56 »
I have just been through this for the first time and spent weeks trying to stop it.

If it carries on today do what Lillileaf says and get the dog cage out and forget about any other methods, 3 days worked for me.

3ft long by 2ft wide with a piece of wire mesh across the bottom if the cage holes are big propped up on some bricks to get a draft up her backside.

3 days in chicken jail is better than weeks of trying other methods whilst watching her lose weight and plucking her feathers out.

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Flowerpower136

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2016, 07:47 »
Right got to get this sorted! She's still at this morning despite there being no eggs and no comfy nesting material.
Thinking my dog carrier might be too dark and cosy to do the job. It's plastic but solid with vent holes. So, off out shortly to get a wire cage.
Do I keep her in it day and night, or pop her back in the coop with the others when it's dark?
Hoping it's not going to take too long to get her back. She's not pecking when I lift her out, just screeching and rattling her feathers, but then not rushing directly back in, takes some time to eat and drink and have a scratch round.
Thanks for advice much appreciated.

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Mr R Design

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2016, 08:53 »
She will go back in.

Get a wire dog cage. 3ft ish long and 2ft ish tall, don't go much smaller and you don't need any bigger. The holes will probably be 2"ish so get a piece of mesh for the bottom 1/2"ish.

Put food and water in there but no straw and leave her in it day and night for 3 days. Raise it up off the floor with some bricks or timber.

Let her out after 3 days to potter around and if she goes skuttling off to the nest box put her back in jail.

There is a broody switch that has clicked on in her brain and you are trying to turn it off. The dog cage might sound cruel but it is better for her to get things over with quickly.

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Sassy

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2016, 09:51 »
It is better for her health to get it sorted sooner rather than later. However, different hens take different amounts of time. If the hormones are well set in it may take a week or two. You have to change the chemicals! The dog crate on bricks with no bedding is best. :)
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted!!

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Flowerpower136

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2016, 17:25 »
Went and got a wire cage, some sortof cat carrier this morning. Bit on the small side, but it was all they had. Put her in and quickly took her out again before she hurt herself. Holes too big and she was forcing her head through in an alarming way.
Plan B, have set to this afternoon with scrap wood and leftover weldmesh and crafted something a bit like a weldmesh tunnel fixed over a raised of base of more mesh and slats. It's in the run, under cover and Ive just put her in there with water and pellets. She's not happy, but needs must, and I know it's for the best. And I feel happy at least that it's not too grim in there, she's safe, she's got room to move, but not cause trouble.
I think I'll leave her in there till Sunday and then see if she's snapped out if it.
Thanks for all your help and advice. Very much appreciated. I wouldn't have had a clue!

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Flowerpower136

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Re: Broody?! Is it my fault!
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2016, 09:45 »
Went out first thing this morning to check on poor Speckle in her cage, and found her standing there with an egg! 
Fair to say I'm puzzled.  I didn't think broody hens laid eggs?
Wondering if she'd had a quicker than expected recovery, I let her out. But no, after a bit of a scratch round she was straight back in and commandeered an empty nest box.  So, straight back to the cage.
There is no doubt in my mind that she is broody, her behaviour is text book.  But I don't understand the egg?
Had to laugh, because the minute she was out she was eating and drinking from the flock feeder and drinker, whilst all the other Chooks rushed into the open cage to get at her food and water!  :tongue2:


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