Arthritis

[Terri1]

Have a hen who has been broody for a couple of weeks. No rooster so I keep 'stealing' her eggs which she hates. Eating OK. When I get her off the nest she seems to have a problem walking on one leg. Every now and then she comes out of the cookhouse and tries to scratch around one legged. There are no marks, bugs, swelling anything on the apparently sore leg. She is the matriarch and so rarely gets picked on even when sitting - no peck marks on her. I think last year when she sat for a while it was similar but after walking around for a very short while seemed to come good. Any ideas?

 

[justusnak]

Hi terri...and welcome to BYC. I am no expert...and I am sure there are MANY on here that know more. I would have to say tho, she might just be stiff from setting so long. I hope you can break her broody behavior. Thats tough. I think I have one trying to go broody on me as well. Bad girl! LOL Dont them know its winter!?? LOL

 

[dlhunicorn]

You might try adding a supplement (AviaCharge 2000 is a very good one...you can order online from McMurray or Strombergs)... broody is hard on a bird... might try three drops of POLYVISOL once a day in the beak for a week then taper off the next (polyvisol is childrens liquid A-B-D vitamins)

 

[Terri1]

Thanks for that I'll try the meds and see if there is an improvement. Is it bad for them to go broody like that? Your responses seems to indicate I should try to get her out of it and it is hard on her. She does it regularly at this time - Oct to Dec - Spring/Summer in Australia - and she is a little thinner when she finally stops I didn't think it was particularly bad for her. How would you get her to stop it - if I move her off the nest all she does is sit where I put her until she can get back to the nest again. Can't move the nest - all of them seem to lay their eggs there.

 

[dlhunicorn]

many separate to a cage to break them...