[pink-chicken]

I think that one of our girls is broody. She's sitting contendedly in the nest box, not moving. When she is out she puffs up shakes her feathers and makes a funny screaming sound. I've jumped out of my skin a couple of times when she's done this as I thought something was wrong with her. I have searched 'broody' but there is so much information that I felt swamped. Could anyone advise the simplest 'cure' for her please.

Jan.

[Vember]

Hi PC

I normally just keep moving mine off the nest they get bored eventually and give up

Only other thing you can do is shut the pop hole once everyone has laid and not let them back in till bedtime


Sarah

[pink-chicken]

Hi Sarah and thank you  I will give that a try. We usually shut the pop hole up once they've laid as they make such a mess of their straw carpet if we leave it open, so hopefully have unintentionally stopped her in the past. She beat us to it though this morning and got in there before we could even check if the other 3 girls had laid. Hmm maybe she's getting crafty, bless her.

Jan.

[Beano]

I've had one hen (Buttercup) that has been broody on and off all Summer.
I've left her to it. She does get a little skinny but while she's not laying and just sitting around I figure what's the harm. I did push her out in the morning and in the evening for the corn treat though.
She's not broody at the moment and started laying and hoovering food up like a mad thing. Probably trying to catch up with what she's missed.

[Roughlee Handled]

But most important thing is to get her out of that nest box twice a day so she will eat and drink. I would also remove any eggs.  I had one of mine go broody for just 4 days, stopped on monday!!

[littlewitch]

Hi there PC, like you am new to keeping chooks - when one of ours went broody a few weeks ago was advised to try dunking her bum in bucket of cool water (found not to be very successful) In the end OH built 'Cell Block H' which doubles as an isolation unit (36 hours in there with her own food & water successfully cured her) and with the front door panel removed gives extra shelter to their feeding station for the girls to get out of the rain should they want. So would try putting yours in isolation for minimum 24 hours if at all possible.

[pink-chicken]

Hi everyone and thank you, I see quite a few of us are in the same boat. We've only had the girls for a couple of months so recognising non magor problems is a bit of a learning curve.

'Beano' like your Buttercup ours is a flower too, Dandelion or Dandy for short as she's
very beautiful, knows it, and the equivalent of a female Dandy 

Stuart, I see too that it's fairly important to get them off the nest if poss so she is 'locked out' now for her own good as we managed to shut the pop hole when she toddled out earlier. Will get strict with the turning her out after she's laid routine too.

'littlewitch' I like the idea of your Cell Block H and will have a word with hubby and son about building something similar. IMHO hens are pretty intelligent so I'm sure they soon get the message.

Jan.

[Beano]

Should have called her Sharlote=Crazy chick.

[Beano]

Buttercup I mean!! I wasnt being rude about your Dandy!

[pink-chicken]

Beano, sorry for late reply have been a bit under the weather and away from the computer, but better now
LOL re calling your Buttercup a Sharlote as I rather like that as a name too, it would suit our Dandy as she's a pretty crazy chick! 

Jan.

[Beano]

Hi pink-chicken.
Here is a photo. of my "crazy chick" complete with crazy hair.
The white one is Buttercup and the black one Poppy.

[pink-chicken]

Hi Beano 

OMG they are both gorgeous! I just love their hair! LOL. What kind of girlies are they or do you just give normal hens a perm!  Their names so suit them too and I love the flower chicken combination.

Jan.x

[Beano]

I havent a clue what breed they are. I think its a mixture. They all have the tufty hair though.
They are small with narrow bodies but big characters.
My brother inherited around 15 when his next door neighbor died and he gave me 3.
One (Daisy) died of old age after a year and  he gave us another one. Her name is Goldie.
My husband named her hence the departure from flowers.
We love them to bits and even Beano our cat is rather fond of them by now.

[redmolly]

One of mine went broody - not terribly long after I had got her. I couldn't face being mean to her and kicking her out every day as she had such a lovely nature!!! I'm afraid to say - I nipped off to the Poultry Mill and treated her to some eggs!!! It was amazing to watch and she was such a great mum!!!! 

[pink-chicken]

Beano, I know just what you mean about loving them to bits. We've always loved animals and birds but I'm amazed at how much the girls mean to all three of us, myself, hubby and son. Each day one or more of the girls will do something different and funny and I'm reminded at just how gorgeous they are. I love the way that they 'talk' to each other and to us. I'm sure they will thank me for any food and treats and I'll always say 'you're welcome'  probably just going potty in my old age lol. It's lovely that you and your brother were able re-home his neighbours girlies and in a way keeping them together. I think your hubby would get away with Goldie as a flower because I'm sure there's an old cottage garden flower called Golden Rod. Or maybe even a shortened form of Marigold

redmolly, please don't tempt me! LOL! I often imagine what the girls would be like as mums and just think of those gorgeous little yellow chicks! I'm such a worrier though and would be constantly fretting about whether the chicks were well and thriving or not.  I'd be worse than a rosey old mother hen!

Jan.x