Broody chicken or something worse?

[bonfire3]

Hi
I have 3 chickens. Two have always layed in the nest box the third, The sussex star always on the compost pile. Recently the sussex has started staying there all day from coop opening and sometimes through the night. She growls and is aggresive if i take her away from there. My worry is that she has lost weight and the feathers under her body has started to fall out and you can now see her skin. She always used to be fiesty when i picked her up ( and quite powerful too) but now she seems to have so little energy that she just sits in my hands ( after all the hand pecking) and then sits where i put her down. Both the other two seems ok. goes to the coop at the end of the day and nests fine, Any thoughts to help a worried man? If brooding do i just let her get over it, or keep taking her away from nest in compost?
Shane

 

[Judy]

Yes, she sounds broody. Broodies pull feathers from their breast area. I had one who had no fertile eggs to hatch stay broody for nearly 3 months. Best to either get her some fertile eggs or chicks, or try to break her, as they lose weight while setting. If you get her chicks to raise, wait til after 2 weeks or so then slip them under her at night. If you want to break the broodiness, put her in a wire cage for 2 or 3 days. Elevate it so there is air flow underneath it, and do not put any nesting material in there. Provide food and water, of course.

I know the cage sounds kind of awful, but as long as she is broody, she shouldn't much care, as all they want to do is set in a sort of trance. When she starts getting restless and wanting out, hopefully that means the broodiness is broken and she can be let out. If she starts setting again, put her back in til she gets restless again.

 

[bonfire3]

Thanks very much. This site is great i always feel everyone wants to help. i think i'll let her carry on brooding, just seems more natural.

 

[Judy]

If you do, I hope she is sitting on fertile eggs, or you put some under her. There was nothing natural about the broody I had who tried for 3 months to hatch unfertile or no eggs.