Broody and may die ?

[Chicken Woman]

I have a bantam dutch that has been a little broody on and off for about 4 weeks. Then 2 weeks ago she decided she was going to sit. She makes terrible noises and pecks me when I take away eggs.
At nite I put her on the perch but she jumps right down and goes to the nesting box. GRRRR

I do not have a roo. No fertile eggs.

I went out today and picked her up and she is wasting away !

I took her into the garage and put her in a plastic dog crate where she will have no eggs to sit on. I gave here chick starter, electrolyte and vitamin powder in water. Scrambled a banty egg for her. I covered the crate so she will not have a draft.

What else should I do ?

I would go buy her a chick but it is to cold here and the feed stores won't have them for at least another month.

 

[KellyHM]

Just make sure she has water and food close by.

 

[Poohbear]

It will not hurt her to be in a smaller pen until she stops being broody. Just like KellyHM said, just make sure she has feed and clean water to drink. Might need some kind of grain, some canned dog food or fish to eat. Chick starter isn't the best thing for a pullet. I'd see if I could find a wire dog carrier or something a little larger than a basket to keep her in though. Either that or remove the nest from the coop so she doesn't have anywhere to sit except a roost pole. She will be fine.

 

[Chicken Woman]

She is so determined and wants a chickie so bad !

Her head has no feathers from the other girls pecking her head so she will get out of the nest box ! I have 11 hens and 3 boxes but they all lay in one.
I put anitibiotic cream on her bald head.

 

[AngieChick]

Awww, maybe separate her and give the poor girl some fertilized eggs?

 

[cmom]

I had to put milk crates in my nest boxes at night and I took them out in the mornings.

 

[redhen]

i am having ths ame problem with my little silkie Peanut....i dont know what to do for her!...it's to cold to let her sit eggs now...and i have no place in my house for her to sit on them either...she is also wasting away...

..i have taken her off the nest..walked her around the yard..etc...she just runs back to her nest!...

 

[Pumpkinpup]

They can be very hard headed when they decide it's time to brood. I wish you both luck with your girls, chicken women and redhen

It's hard to watch your hen struggle with her maternal instinct when you know there is no future in it

 

[patricew]

A friend of mine had a duck that desperately kept trying to hatch some babies, but no daddy duck. So she put some of my hen's fertile eggs under her! The duck happily hatched and raised those chicks!! It was a riot!

 

[janc]

My little banty hen went broody during the ice storm a few weeks ago. I was amazed. Anyway, after the storm I took all the eggs out of there. The other hens were laying in there as well. She wasn't happy about my taking the eggs. My neighbor who got me into chickens wasn't too happy about what I did so I said I'd let her go ahead and sit on the next batch. (I am totally new to this and know next to nothing) She is due next Thurs. We leave the following Tues. for a cruise but he says he's going to take care of them. He also takes care of all my birds. I should mention that he is terminal (prostate cancer) and I pretty much do what he asks. The hen is sitting about 20 inches high in the coop. Will this be a problem for the little babies? My husband is very handy so if you have some ideas let me know, please!