Broody hen diarrhoea

[Outlander27]

Hi! Hoping someone could help me. I have a young cochin who has just gone broody. She's made herself a wee nest in the coop, though she's not actually sitting on any eggs as we don't have a rooster. My plan was to give her a week and if she's still broody, then buy her some fertilised eggs to sit on. I also like to take my broodies off the nest at least once a day just to make sure they're definitely eating and drinking as I'm in work during the day and can't keep an eye on them. Long story short, I picked her off the nest yesterday and she'd had diarrhoea in her nest and just continued to sit on it. She absolutely stank. I washed her off and let her dry off in the sun. She was eating and drinking as usual and seemed in good form. But when I checked her today, the same thing had happened. Anyone else had this issue?

My main concern is that it's a hot spell here and I don't want her sitting in festering poop. From tomorrow, I'm going to take her off the nest in the morning and again in the evening and see if that helps her. I'm also wondering if she's maybe having a wee reaction to the worming medication her and the rest of the flock have been on (flubendazole 1%) - they've just finished the 7 day course today, though all the other chooks seem fine.

Thanks for all your input!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would remove her from the nest and place her in a crate or pen without any bedding, to break her broody spell. Keep a check that she isn’t sitting in her droppings. A roost in the crate would be helpful. Maggot infestation or flystrike is a possibility in warm weather, while having runny droppings and sitting in them. Do you have many flies out in the UK?

 

[Outlander27]

I would remove her from the nest and place her in a crate or pen without any bedding, to break her broody spell. Keep a check that she isn’t sitting in her droppings. A roost in the crate would be helpful. Maggot infestation or flystrike is a possibility in warm weather, while having runny droppings and sitting in them. Do you have many flies out in the UK?

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I definitely think if she doesn't start going outside the nest, breaking the broody cycle is my next port of call. There have been a fair few flies about, and I had one chicken last year who got flystrike from a wee peck another chicken had gave her. It literally went from a sore one evening to crawling with maggots the next day. Thankfully I noticed it, cleaned the wound out and packed it just in time and she made a full recovery, bit I definitely do not want a repeat if that! Thanks again for your suggestion - definitely next on my list!

 

[Fontaine]

This helped with cleanliness once you’re Broody is put in a wire dog crate. I took the plastic liner out of the crate and spread sand,shaving etc. on top of liner. Then I placed a brick in each corner of the liner and set the wire crate on top. The poop mostly drops through the wires to the liner below.I threaded a dowel through the sides for a roost barFor a smaller chicken. For my Cochin I secured a cut 2 x 4 to the bottom of the crate wires with string.To clean you can just lift the dog crate and set it aside and scoop the poop. Hope this helps!

 

[Outlander27]

Oh! That's a really good idea! I have a dog crate for my staffie for when she was a puppy and chewing everything in sight, but it's just gathering dust now. Thanks!

 

[Outlander27]

Just a wee update: Lady Grey is doing great! I bathed her and cleaned her nest out twice a day for approx 4 days. She didn't follow through on her broodiness, and her diarrhoea cleared up within a few days! Phew!