Help ! Have I bitten off more than I can chew....

Hi folks... Very new to this chicken malarkey ... Had all sorts of pets in the past.. Reptiles dogs cats and all manner of mammals...

But these guys... These are really testing me... Got all sorts of literature and always on this site but think I'm losing my grasp..

Have a lovely flock of five.. Two I raised from chicks (a beechwood blue and a Black rock) 2 common browns that came from a chicken farm that was closing down.. And a recent addition of a speckledy which has just come to the point of lay.

Two weeks in of having the common browns one of them (christened beaky) managed to Knock the top of her beak off.. Major horror... But this site led to a few suggestions of how to keep her going and she seems ok...

The black rock who was always quiet and dead sweet turned into a Jurassic horror the minute the new speckledy (called smoky bacon) arrived...

She's just starting to leave her be a bit more but now she's just camping out in the nesting box... Squarking and growling at everyone...

Picked her out the nest earlier and she was dead hot underneath and felt a little skinny.... Refused to stand up or stop puffing her feathers up... What what what can I do ???
Don't want her to get sick but only have limited time with them as I work.(spend as much time as I can but feel its still not enough)

Constantly worrying about them.. The other day I went to see them and they looked like they'd been dipped in a bucket of water,.. We'd had bad rain and they don't seem to have taken shelter...

Any advice folks ? Am I worrying too much or do I need to step it up a bit more !!!

Anything will help...

Hi there - sounds like you have yourself a broody hen on your hands. You can search the term - and how to "break a broody", if you do not currently wish to have chicks, here on the site. Basically, your hen's hormones have kicked in and told her she wants to hatch chicks - if you do want chicks you can obtain some hatching eggs from someone who has a rooster in their flock, or you can obtain some day old chicks for your broody to adopt (you can find discussions on how to do this here on the site as well).

Hi! Your Black rock was probably just going through the pecking order thing with the new girl and now I think that she's not sick, but broody! If she won't go off the nest, growls at you and feels hot then she's most likely broody. You can either snap her out of it with a wire dog crate or you can leave her until she's done, which will take 21 days.
They are fine in the rain as long as it isn't really cold out or anything. I wouldn't worry!
Sounds like your doing fine.

Aw thanks I had tea somethin about broody hens and thought perhaps she was.. Just wanted some more experienced opinions.. Right you are then.. Think I'd like to snap er out of it cos I think she's upsetting the others a little and also dot want her to not eat and potentially make herself poorly and weak... Thanks again for responding.. They really are lovely creatures and so fond of them especially the two I raised from chicks.. But I tell ya the snakes and lizards I've had I the past haven't given me half the anxiety these guys are
Thanks again x

Suep666 said:

Aw thanks I had tea somethin about broody hens and thought perhaps she was.. Just wanted some more experienced opinions.. Right you are then.. Think I'd like to snap er out of it cos I think she's upsetting the others a little and also dot want her to not eat and potentially make herself poorly and weak... Thanks again for responding.. They really are lovely creatures and so fond of them especially the two I raised from chicks.. But I tell ya the snakes and lizards I've had I the past haven't given me half the anxiety these guys are
Thanks again x

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Hey! What kind of lizards do you have? I have 2 anoles.

Well.. What haven't I had.. Currently just have a snake but I've had anoles (cute little guys) had something called a spiny swift.. Had bearded dragons geckos and my big boy iguana.. 5 and a half foot of pure sweetness.. He was beautiful.. Siiigh !!! But they've all passed now And as I say just have shteven my corn snake.. Who's also a beaut.. ! Oh and my budgies .. Who hate me and just glare at me and my lovely doggies

I used to have budgies. I have 2 dogs too.

Love my dogs.. Such sweethearts.. Lucy who's a boxer.. She's getting on a bit now. And lycan who's a Staffordshire bull terrier.. He's a numbskull but a good boy..