Broody hen gone broodier in broody jail! Oy.

[Aunt Angus]

Yes! Please let us know!

 

[Daniellebell1]

Holy cannoli. Zippy is NOT a happy hen.

I found an inexpensive wire crate on craigslist, popped it up onto cinder blocks underneath our fig tree, laid down hardware cloth, and transferred her in. Y'all. She was PISSED. You know the phrase "mad as a wet hen"? I would like to formally propose that it be changed to "mad as a broody hen." Daaaaaaang.

On the other hand, the other chickens have now been checking out the dog crate I had Zippy in before, and they're like "Oooooh! Luxury!" and trying to get all cozy in there *forehead smack.*

 

[lisa523]

I have a broody hen. She will leave the nesting box to get food, water and stretch her legs. Other than inconveniencing the other hens that prefer that particular box, I don't see any point to break her broodiness.

I did the same. I don'tnt see the need to break them, its natural. With any of my broodys, I pull them out in the morning to make they get food and water, when they does and hops back in a nesting box I put a handful of food in front of them. They have all done fine with this, they will eventually stop being broody.

 

[Painted Calls]

I did the same. I don'tnt see the need to break them, its natural. With any of my broodys, I pull them out in the morning to make they get food and water, when they does and hops back in a nesting box I put a handful of food in front of them. They have all done fine with this, they will eventually stop being broody.

Some hens will sit until they die. It's not healthy for them. Especially if they are sitting for no purpose.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some hens will sit until they die. It's not healthy for them. Especially if they are sitting for no purpose.

It also can cause a bit of strife in the flock. My current broody's been fighting with about half the flock whenever she's let out - unnecessary tension when I have no plans to hatch or give her chicks.

 

[aart]

She was PISSED. You know the phrase "mad as a wet hen"? I would like to formally propose that it be changed to "mad as a broody hen." Daaaaaaang.

Actually, I believe the 'wet hen' is from one technique of breaking a broody which is to dunk them in cool water.

 

[MLCfromTennessee]

Some hens will sit until they die. It's not healthy for them. Especially if they are sitting for no purpose.

She has 1 egg that is fertile, she gets off the nest everyday to eat and drink.

 

[Painted Calls]

She has 1 egg that is fertile, she gets off the nest everyday to eat and drink.

All broodies still eat and drink. Still not any less hard on them though as they drop weight, get cranky, become a target for pests, and get their repro system temporarily paused. I use broodies to hatch. I'm not against it. All I said was that if you're not using them to hatch, break them.

 

[rayrose]

I've had some broodies get claustrophobic in a 24 inch crate
and literally freak out. When I move them to a 30 inch crate,
they calm down. Every bird is different.

 

[Daniellebell1]

THE SAGA OF ZIPPY CONTINUES!

Zippy is back in the plastic crate. But wait. Don't get mad at me yet.

If you're anywhere near New Orleans right now, you know that it is storming like judgment day over here...rain's coming in sideways like when Forrest Gump is in Vietnam. I had a cover over Zippy's wire kennel, and the whole thing in the shelter of the fig tree, but the rain is so heavy and the winds so serious that she was still getting drenched. So I go out there and try to bring the wire kennel inside, but it's too heavy for me. But you know what isn't too heavy for me to move by myself? That's right. The damn plastic crate!!

So I brought her inside and snuggled her in a towel to dry her off a bit, and set her back up in the crate, this time with no pine chips. This could potentially set her broodiness problem back a few days, but I guess I'd rather that than have her drown or get hypothermia.

@aart I can't tell you how much linguistic joy the etiology of this phrase brings me. Love it!

Please see below: pictures of Zippy and me, both mad as wet hens.
The last picture is from this morning. LOOK HOW PUFFY. For the sake of comparison, the other hen there is Ladybird, who is about her same size normally. Let me tell you. Zippy was NOT having it. She's less puffy now, but that may be because she is soaked to the bone.

Oh the adventures of chickening!

Edited: grammar error