Broke broody a little too broken?

[RCL]

Our 1yr old cuckoo marans showed signs of broodiness for a few weeks last month. She spent as much time as possible in the nest throughout the day, was plucking out her chest feathers, and would scream and puff up anytime we opened the nesting box.

During that time she was still laying eggs, and sleeping on the roost at night.
After a couple weeks of putting ice packs under her and constantly taking her out of the nesting box after she laid her eggs, she seemed to have broken the broodiness.

But now.... it’s like she’s too broken. She hasn’t laid an egg in two weeks. She refuses to go near the nesting box during the day (she flaps and scratches and immediately runs out if we try to put her in it). But, she does try to sleep in the nesting box when she goes in the coop at night. For two weeks we have gently moved her from the nesting box to the roost every night, and she does stay on the roost if we put her there.

I’m so confused. She was broody but laying, now she’s not broody but not laying. Any ideas what’s up??

 

[MeliticusBee]

Sometimes takes a couple of weeks for them to go back to laying.
I am less "gentle" with my broody hens. They pretty much get removed from coop and jailed until they return to normal behavior...then still takes a couple of weeks before eggs.

 

[RCL]

Sometimes takes a couple of weeks for them to go back to laying.
I am less "gentle" with my broody hens. They pretty much get removed from coop and jailed until they return to normal behavior...then still takes a couple of weeks before eggs.

Okay so it’s normal for them to not lay for a few weeks after being broody? It just struck me as weird because she laid an egg a day throughout her broody time, and I thought they don’t lay while broody.

 

[AntiqueB]

Mine lays for a few days after getting broody, and it takes her a week and a half to get back into laying after she gives up.

I have experience. She becomes broody like clockwork: 2 weeks broody, 3 weeks normal.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broodies lose body condition (weight, molting) while sitting so they need to regain it before they'll start laying again. 2 weeks is about average-ish for laying to resume but you'll get some that start laying again sooner and some much later.

 

[aart]

She refuses to go near the nesting box during the day (she flaps and scratches and immediately runs out if we try to put her in it).

Yeah, don't do that.
Good to remove her at night tho.
She may be being bullied a bit from acting 'weird, while broody.
Just give her time to acclimate back to the 'norm'.

 

[Heidi Marston]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I was going to start a new question. My Delaware was broody for about 25 days (no hatching because we only have hens). We finally broke her, but she is acting "off". Laying around a lot and seems tired, not much of an appetite, watery poo. She is drinking, eating blueberries and watermelon (it is extremely hot where we are). She'll get up and scratch around for awhile, but then go back to just resting somewhere in the run.
Is this normal for the post-broody behavior?
Thanks in advance.

 

[aart]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I was going to start a new question. My Delaware was broody for about 25 days (no hatching because we only have hens). We finally broke her, but she is acting "off". Laying around a lot and seems tired, not much of an appetite, watery poo. She is drinking, eating blueberries and watermelon (it is extremely hot where we are). She'll get up and scratch around for awhile, but then go back to just resting somewhere in the run.
Is this normal for the post-broody behavior?
Thanks in advance.

Fruit will give them loosey poops.
Try some electrolytes and ice block instead:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Heidi Marston]

Great. Good too know.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

She refuses to go near the nesting box during the day (she flaps and scratches and immediately runs out if we try to put her in it).

Curious. Why would you do that?