Newly broody hen

barneyowl · « **on:** June 22, 2007, 13:07 »

Hello. I have a girl, sitting for 3 days on 7 selected eggs. She is isolated and comes out occasionaly to poop and feed. This morning however she vomited a fair bit of brown "stuff" Is this normal? anybody know? :?: :roll:

richyrich7 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2007, 13:52 »

Hi barneyowl and welcome to the forums, can't help you on this one I'm afraid, but someone will be along soon who can.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2007, 14:05 »

Hi barneyowl - Welcome to the forums

I've no experience of hatching eggs so can't help you except to say I've not heard of that happening before.

We have quite a number of breeders here and I'm sure they will be able to help you

barneyowl · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2007, 15:01 »

Thankyou both. Clarice lives a free range life. So I am hoping nature will take its course and as long as she has food and water nearby, a little outside area and a warm henhouse for her nest I will let her get on with it. I have never done this before so I am trusting Clarice`s instict rather than my own expertise. Having said that... All advice will be most welcome !

mercury · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2007, 21:09 »

hi barneyowl, what does her droppings look like, and is she otherwise healthy looking, and eating ok

barneyowl · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2007, 21:35 »

Hi Mercury.... I am beginning to wonder (as I did not actually SEE her vomit) whether this could have been droppings?? It was brown, a bit like soggy weatbix with some undigested corn, about half a cup full. Sorry about the graphic description !! I have not seen any other droppings as yet. She seems well but hard to tell when she just sits in the dark. She came out for about 20 minute this morning, ate and drank a little, patrolled the new fence for a while and went back in. I have been to see her three times since and she remains sat there and eyes me balefully.
She has only been sitting for 3 days and hes been in perfect health all of her three and a half years. Does that help at all?

mercury · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2007, 12:48 »

Hi barneyowl, sorry for the delay in answering, i doubt it is vomit, probably loose droppings, does she have acses to grit at all times, and are you sure the corn is undigested.

barneyowl · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2007, 13:56 »

Hello again Mercury. I have been keeping a watch out this morning and I havent seen her off the nest. I cannot see any obvious droppings and very little food has been touched (layers pellets)
But, she still looks comfortable a nd cocks a wary eye at me when I look in on her. No further signs of the "weetabix thing"
As far as that goes. It looked like little bits of peanuts in the "thing" so I just took it to be undigested corn. I am sure I am worrying out of all proportion. Hens have been doing this since the beginning, its just that this is MY first time. :oops:

mercury · « **Reply #8 on:** June 23, 2007, 18:22 »

Don't worry, it dos'nt sound like anything serious, i allways feed my broody's on corn only while they're sitting, because in my thinking, they don't need high protein, because they ar'nt doing anything to expend energy, that is, unless someone knows different

barneyowl · « **Reply #9 on:** June 23, 2007, 23:01 »

Thanks for the advice. I will change her diet (gradually) and make sure she has enough grit as she wont be foraging for a while. :cry:

The OTHER problem with her is that she is nesting in a box half way up the wall !! I know I will have to get her down to ground level quite soon but I dont want to disturb her broodiness or take the chance that she wont go back on the eggs once moved. How is it done? :roll:

mercury · « **Reply #10 on:** June 24, 2007, 12:58 »

If you can move the box with her in it, that would be ideal, if not, leave her while the eggs hatch, and then put them on the floor as soon as possible

barneyowl · « **Reply #11 on:** June 24, 2007, 13:51 »

Sorry Mercury, The nest box is fitted to the henhouse so it looks like there she will sit until the time comes.

I watched out for her this morning and she came out about 7.30am Wandered up and down the wire (cant understand why she is fenced in) I was pleased to se her do a bit of scratching and pecking at the grass and a bit of feed I had thrown down. Then she POOPED. It was just like liquid and came out quite forcefully. she didn`t seem to be bothered and carried on. Soon back inside and onto the nest again. All seems to be fine if the watery poop is not too much of a problem. :?:

mercury · « **Reply #12 on:** June 24, 2007, 21:53 »

Nothing to worry about barneyowl, broody's tend to do big poo's, and they're quite smelly too

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