urbanfarmersCNA
In the Brooder
We had our first broody hen. Let's call her "Mama". This has gone on for 2-3 months, and now it seems that one thing has led to another, and the flock has rejected her. That, or she's sick with something, I cannot figure this one out!
We did put her in a bucket of water and then subsequently in a dog cage inside the coop for a week to break her broodiness, but think we let it go on too long and now we've caused irreparable damage to her reputation with the flock.
"Mama" Hen Behavior:
Flock Behavior:
"Mama" Behavior after Chicken Jail for 1 week:
What the heck is going on guys? I am at a loss. I can't put the other 9 hens in jail. They seem to just be doing what is normal. "Mama" doesn't look like she is sick at all, but I don't know how to check for mites. I know that the flock will keep her away if she is sick.
We did put her in a bucket of water and then subsequently in a dog cage inside the coop for a week to break her broodiness, but think we let it go on too long and now we've caused irreparable damage to her reputation with the flock.
- We didn't manage it well.
- We kinda just let her be broody.
- Well, after about a month, when it didn't quit, we tried the water bucket method.
- That did not work.
- So we did try a dog cage on 4x4s to get air flow under her, we did this for 1 week.
- 2 months elapsed and she WAS STILL broody!
- She spent all her days of summer in the nest box
- We noticed that her comb had really shriveled down.
- Then, due to staying inside the nest box so long, we believe she started to molt early due to lack of sunlight. She lost a lot of feathers and looked really bad. The rest of the flock (same age) has not started molting yet.
"Mama" Hen Behavior:
- She is now very flighty around the others
- She stays on a roost up away from them, or she will go in the coop and nest down in a corner.
- She sprints past them to get to food or water, and then they peck her and she sprints around the run and back into the coop
- She makes odd noises. She makes short "bup bup bup" sounds instead of the noises the other chickens make which sounds more like "burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp burrrrpppppp" almost like we owe them something!
- She will sleep in the nest box if she can.
Flock Behavior:
- I have observed most, if not all, of them pecking her and "putting her in her place" when she is near their food or whereever they are
- They are all super healthy with beautiful feathers and bright red combs and wattles
- They all make normal chicken sounds as they always have
"Mama" Behavior after Chicken Jail for 1 week:
- Now she does not appear to be making the "bup bup bup" noises, she's now making those "burrrrrrrrrrppppp burrrrrrppp" noises like the rest of the flock
- She no longer wishes to sit on the eggs
- She goes into the nest box to hide from the other hens, but she just stands there awkwardly, she doesn't sit on the eggs or have any interest in them
- Example: The hens who want to lay eggs are waiting just outside the nest box, inside the coop, and "Mama' is in there hiding, but the other hens don't feel like they can go in and lay, but "Mama" doesn't feel safe to come out, so we have a stand off!
- She doesn't have watery eyes
- She doesn't have any goopy stuff on her feathers as if she's been wiping her nose
- She doesn't have any audible respiratory issues
- I have not inspected her for mites, so I cannot rule that out, but the rest of the flock are fine and they've lived around her for 2-3 months like this
- She's not sneezing at all
- She did have molt, but I think she's finished with that...
- Her comb and wattle are getting better, but still small and pale in comparison to her sisters
What the heck is going on guys? I am at a loss. I can't put the other 9 hens in jail. They seem to just be doing what is normal. "Mama" doesn't look like she is sick at all, but I don't know how to check for mites. I know that the flock will keep her away if she is sick.
