Broody Hen - What to expect??

chickenlicken · « **on:** June 22, 2009, 16:06 »

Hi, think I've established our Black Star is broody even though she is quite young and only been laying a few weeks. She stays in the nest box unless I take her out and when I do she acts very strangely, soft rosey all the time, shaking her feathers and her rear end quivers!! She will eat and drink a bit when she comes out but is very skittish and the others seem to fed up with her and give her the odd peck - she just doesn't seem all there!!
I am 99% certain there is nothing else wrong but how long is she likely to be like this and what is anything do i need to do - will she just start laying again??

Tracey

Vember · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2009, 16:41 »

The longer she stays broody the longer she'll take to start laying again

Best to break it early if you want her eggs

If possible once the other girls have laid for the day shut them out of the coop to stop her going back in, remove eggs asap and if you do find her sitting keep getting her off the nest and putting her outside

I have heard some people dunk their botties in cold water

Never tried this so don't know if it works, but it doesn't sound very nice

I tend to let them get on with it

Sarah

Caralou · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2009, 16:56 »

Botties in water hasn't worked for my girls. Only way I can stop them once they are broody is to lock them out of the coop all day or let them have eggs and put them to work

Hensington · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2009, 17:52 »

Give her a job:) Nothing beats seeing a hen with her chicks wandering around the place.

Vember · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2009, 18:00 »

Quote from: Hensington on June 22, 2009, 17:52

Give her a job:) Nothing beats seeing a hen with her chicks wandering around the place.

If you have a spare house to keep her in until hatch and a secure run for after

cathangirl · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2009, 18:01 »

Just like this.........

chickenlicken · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2009, 18:55 »

Thanks for all your responses.

We don't have a cockerel and I made a solemn promise our family was complete so the pitter patter of tiny feet won't be coming from this direction!!

Will have to be cruel to be kind and do as suggested and keep shutting her out once others have layed and hope she gets back to normal asap!!

Thanks for advice
Tracey

buzz · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2009, 21:10 »

Hi, I've had a couple of broody chickens recently and tried shutting them out but found the best way to 'break' the broody feeling is to shut them up by themselves (with water and grain - no pellets) for 3 days and it worked a treat, both were back laying in a week (give or take !) I used my dog cage but anything would work I would think, apparently you need to lower their temperature and obviously keep them away from eggs, otherwise the 'broodyness' just hangs around.
A word of warning, My second broody I let out early after 2 days and she went straight back to the hen house and waited for another chickens egg to sit on !

Hope that helps, it's very frustrating !

chickenlicken · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2009, 21:49 »

Thank you! I was just reading about shutting them in on their own and a wire cage being ideal due to being uncomfortable and allowing air to circulate. Think I will need to buy a cage tomorrow.

I read that the comb goes pink when the hen is broody and the time to let them out (approx 3-4 days) is when you see it has gone red again???

Why no pellets?

Hope she back to her normal self soon, is strange to see her so frantic this evening as I have locked her out til bedtime and blocked nest boxes off, will remove barriers as soon as they are let out in the morning and try to lock her out again once all layed. Fingers crossed!!!

Tracey

buzz · « **Reply #9 on:** June 23, 2009, 15:59 »

Hi again, yes the comb thing is true, sorry had forgotten that bit !

No pellets as they are quite rich and obviously contain lots of nice things to make good eggs so it's best to keep them away from the chickens system while it recovers ! A lady I know locks hers away with no food at all and apparently years ago when a chicken went broody they would just put them in a bag and hang them in the hen house for a few days ! I thought that was a bit drastic though !

Oliveview · « **Reply #10 on:** June 24, 2009, 10:43 »

We have a broody hen at the moment- I tried shutting her in a fenced off bit- I went to let her out in the evening and she wasn�t there- the �gate�was still shut- The hen had somehow gotten over the 2mtr high fence and got back to the nesting box- I think she might have managed to get into the plum tree and over the fence!
Our neighbour suggested we should starve the hen for 3 days, just give her water- it seems so cruel! I did ask for some fertile eggs from the man who used to own our house but he said it was too hot for the hen to raise chicks- the temperatures have been in the high 30�s to low 40�s
I think we might look out for a nice cockerel for the girls. We did have one (Colin) but he kept attacking the new hens so he went to the nieghbour- who ate him

Another neighbour has �Americano� hens (bantams) so I might ask him for a couple of eggs.
Pamela

ehs284 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 24, 2009, 22:12 »

Hi folks,
Here in north Wales, it seems a lot of people are being troubled by broody hens. A couple of weeks ago we had a Black Rock who became a problem as she chased the others away from the nest. Cold water didn't work and eventually (after about a week) we kept her separate every night and until the others had laid and we could shut up the nesting box. Then we let them run together until the evening. She had a comfortable perch in a safe place with food and water. After three days of this she changed back to being her usual easy-going self. It was quite distressing to see how upset she was and we want to be prepared for the next time - so a question. Her voice changed to a deep cluck about a week before she became broody and now it seems as before. Is this a normal sign of developing broodiness or is it just a coincidence? Has anyone noticed changes in noise being a warning sign?
Thanks
Chris

wildwitchy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2009, 00:38 »

I just let mine go through it. Margo & barbara raised the chicks for me. They've not long gone back to laying again. Eva has been broody for about 6 weeks now. She's been mothering everything. Eva has been the most aggressive hen whilst broody - pecking at my hand when collecting the eggs from the others & growling. Normally she doesn't come near me. She just comes out couple times a day to drink, water & poo then she's back in the box.

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Broody Hen - What to expect??

chickenlicken

Broody Hen - What to expect??

Vember

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

Caralou

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

Hensington

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

Vember

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

cathangirl

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

chickenlicken

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

buzz

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chickenlicken

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buzz

Re: Broody Hen - What to expect??

Oliveview

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ehs284

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wildwitchy

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