Boody, Sick or Depressed?

[NCchicken]

What is the proper way to break a broody hen using a dog crate? Do you place the dog crate minus the platic tray right in the run with the others and then move her to the roost in the evenings? My silkie, I think is being broody. Since Sunday, when we found out we had two roosters and had to give them away (gave them up on Saturday), suddenly Aunt Bethany, my silkie went into the nesting box, laid an egg and sat there all Sunday. Mid day Sunday my Dh picked her up, grabbed the eggs (one from her and one from my other silkie)and put her back. When I locked up the coop Sunday night, she was still there in the nesting box. Though she did free range for about an hour on Sunday, but she just sat there on the grass for about 10 minutes before she wandered back up to the nesting box

Yesterday, we had a ton of rain (10+") and so I figured she would be in the nesting box as well, sure enough when I got home, she was still in the same spot I saw her in the morning before work. But there was an egg, next to her. I think it was my other Silkie. This morning, I picked her up and moved her out of the nesting box and placed her by the food. She ate, drank and scratched around for about 15 minutes, then went right back up to the nesting box. I did notice that she is making some noises, like a sneeze or something. Is she depressed that we don't have our Roos anymore? Is she sick? Is she broody? Should I just relax and see what happens over the next few days? I'm new to chickens, so sorry if this is a redundant question. Thanks in advance for your opinions and comments!

 

[NCchicken]

Oh and I forgot to add that when I took her out of the nesting box this morning and put her near her food, she wiggled her butt and two very large chicken poos came out.

Almost the size of her eggs!

It's like she was saving up for not pooing in the nesting box.

 

[Happy Chooks]

With a silkie, I'd place my bets on broody. Not sure about the sneezing sound though. My broody made clucking sounds. I don't have silkies though.

To break her, put her in a wire cage, with a wire floor. Give her food and water, but no bedding. But I don't know if it will work on a silkie.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

Sounds like she's a mommy-wanna-be

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Please remember that being broody is physiological, and not mental, and if her body is in a ready state to go broody, there is little that you can do about it. Especially with mix breeds and silkies! There are dozens of methods to try, but you may just have to accept that she isnt going to lay for a while.

One way to be sure of broodiness over sickness, is by the sounds she makes. when you reach for her, does she get all puffed up and growl or screech at you, but not move off the eggs? After you disturb her, does she settle back down over the eggs with a satisfied clucking sound that bumps her whole body? if so, that is broody. A sick bird will not make these distinct sounds.

I have noticed, that if you let a hen sit on something for a couple weeks (golf balls, rocks, sterile eggs, what ever) and then take them all away at once, while she is off the nest, they seem to accept that a predator got thier eggs, and they often move on in a day or two. But not always, sometimes they just move to another nest, and start all over. Thier bodies have the controls, not thier little minds.

Good Luck

 

[NCchicken]

Okay, so broody it is and crate with wire bottom it is. Hmm, it's supposed to rain another 6+" in the next day or so, perhaps I will start this when the rain is finished. Would it make a difference if I kept her in the house vs in the run with the others inside the dog crate as long as I brought her to the roost at night? Or do I even bring her to the roost with the others at night?

 

[NCchicken]

Ok, so this morning, I went to open up the coop door. Aunt Bethany wasn't sitting in the nesting box, but rather right in front of it. So I went to pick her up, she made her normal sounds when I picked her up. I petted her for a bit, she just sat there, looking miserable! So I put her back down and right in front of the mealworms and fresh food and she didn't do anything. Just sat there where I had placed her.

So I started to pet her again, and I think she got tired of me petting her becuase that's when she got up and very very slowly and walked back to the nesting box. It's like she is lethargic. Now, like anyone else here on BYC, I am totally in love

with all my chickens and it doesn't bother me if being broody just means no eggs for me. I just want her to be happy and healthy, I can deal with no eggs for a while.