Broody Hen Thread!

[A6chickenhome]

Of course now that you are ready, they aren't! :/

I have noticed that with broodies that I hold off, it takes longer for them to recover. I think it is simply a matter of how much energy and nutritional stores they use up in the process as a hen's body has to be at a certain level for the hormones to kick in again. It could also be genetically hormonal, and as the hen ages, her hormones never get high enough to brood again. But let's not assume she is a one timer gal yet.

I read somewhere awhile back that there has to be a certain amount of calcium in their body levels to brood, and supplementing with calcium can encourage them to brood again. I tried that with my Silkie after she had been having a string of broods, then a big lag, and it worked. May have just been coincidence, or there may have been some science behind it.

So supplement her, if you aren't already, with some calcium grit. Put her on a good higher protein level layer feed. You might worm her and check her for body parasites as brooding can definitely encourage overgrowth in those areas. I like to use Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer (mouth full, but it works). It is a wormer with FDA approved meds for laying hens as well as vitamins/minerals and probiotics. It comes in pellet form that you add to the feed. All the chickens can eat it. I get the best price at http://www.abetterchicken.com/product/50101.  

Give her a good dusting with Poultry Dust. Set out BOSS, ACV in the water...in short give her a little spa treatment. If she is laying again, breeding, and glossy feathered, plump, happy, warm and has a cozy nest, you may have a good brood as reward, espeically as the spring time warmer weather is approaching.

Good luck!
LofMc

Thanks so much! I've been around the bush and back trying to determine what to use to worm my birds. You're suggestion sounds right for me and my birds so thanks. Maybe she just needs the time to get strong again, as she was in pretty bad condition by the time she left the chicks. Thanks for all the great advice you give.

 

[aart]

......
I like to use Rooster Booster Triple Action Multi-Wormer (mouth full, but it works). It is a wormer with FDA approved meds for laying hens as well as vitamins/minerals and probiotics. It comes in pellet form that you add to the feed. All the chickens can eat it. I get the best price at http://www.abetterchicken.com/product/50101.

......

How long do you dose with this and how often?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

How long do you dose with this and how often?

The industry doses with continuous feed, but the company recommends doing 1 week every month, or many of us dose 2 weeks every 4 months, or seasonally.

If you have a heavy infestation, especially cecal worms, my research indicates you should feed for 6 weeks.

The dosage depends on the amount of birds you are feeding. You put the whole canister into a 50 lb bag, mixing carefully, or if like me you are doing smaller doses, it states on the can how many scoops per pound of feed. I have weighed my feed scoop filled with feed and I know that for me it is 2 scoops of RB to my 1 scoop of feed.

I do that daily for 2 weeks, and I have seen noticeable improvement in my flock with no tell tale signs of worms (indicating heavy infestation).

The birds seems to eat it just fine, and I've not noticed any waste. The disadvantage of this method is that you can't guarantee every bird is getting the same dose as you could if you eye dropper meds into them, but RB contains the only current FDA approved wormer for layers (Hygromycin B), and since I sell my eggs to friends, I like to remain within legal guidelines for human consumption.

HTH
LofMc

***I should note too that Durvet Strike III is also a Hygromycin B product, and has no Bacitracin (a mild antibiotic for CRD) in it (which RB does). Strike III also has no vitamins or minerals or probiotics. It's just straight Hygromycin B. I sometimes use that if I don't want the added antibiotic of the Bacitracin, but sometimes it's nice to have a bit of that for the birds if I am hearing some nicking going on (I have one or two I've suspicioned with CRD), or suspicion someone could benefit with a mild antibiotic. I've used both products, and I like the immune boost the RB seems to give with the vitamins/minerals/probiotics....but right now I've been using the Durvet Strike III to eliminate the extra med of the Bacitracin since I'm retiring my nicking, CRD suspected, birds.

 

[aart]

Quote: Once or twice a year, monthly....or......when you see sign of illness or infestation...or....???

I don't like the idea of prophylactic antibiotics, or applying two meds when only one is needed.
But nice that it is formulated, or was at least was tested in poultry, so many meds are used off label for birds.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Once or twice a year, monthly....or......when you see sign of illness or infestation...or....???

I don't like the idea of prophylactic antibiotics, or applying two meds when only one is needed.
But nice that it is formulated, or was at least was tested in poultry, so many meds are used off label for birds.

I give the Hygromycin B continuous feed for 2 weeks every 4 months (or so). I try to keep to a schedule. (EDITED to say...I give either RB or Strike III for 2 weeks continuous feed...daily in the feed....about every 4 to 5 months. I am of the camp that believes worms are a constant in chickens and that it is better to keep ahead of the infestation than try to clean up after it....and I say that because when my daughter was doing her Vet Tech studies we did free lab tests with my chickens, and a few necropsies on those that passed, and discovered, by golly, they DID have worms.)

I'm not keen on giving the antibiotic either (Bacitracin), but it has come in handy once or twice in the flock, and it is a very low absorbed antibiotic so that minuscule amounts pass into the eggs, per studies (I know...I can hear the arguments, but I'm reciting what I've read from the Ag literature). I tend not to fret over it as I figure far worse things are going to take me out than minuscule amounts of potential antibiotic, which I can buy in OTC wound ointment and apply to my kid's knee, popularly sold in Neomycin. It's a staph fighter.

As stated, I have been transitioning to the Durvet Strike III since it only has the Hygromycin B and eliminates that second med...but it also eliminates the vitamin-mineral boost/probiotic....sometimes it's nice just to give a one stop feed all to give them a boost and eliminate the worms.

But yes, there is the concern. And yes, it is nice to be on label.

LofMc

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I went to do my 18 day candle o. My broody eggs and the last one I pulled out had a pip and a cheeping chick!

I was so excited I just stuffed all the eggs back under. I forgot to take the quitters and to see what breed it was.

I'll get one Easter chick if all goes well!

 

[chicksurreal]

I went to do my 18 day candle o. My broody eggs and the last one I pulled out had a pip and a cheeping chick!

I was so excited I just stuffed all the eggs back under. I forgot to take the quitters and to see what breed it was.

I'll get one Easter chick if all goes well!

So exciting!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I went to do my 18 day candle o. My broody eggs and the last one I pulled out had a pip and a cheeping chick!

I was so excited I just stuffed all the eggs back under. I forgot to take the quitters and to see what breed it was.

I'll get one Easter chick if all goes well!

How fun...on Easter...from your broody. That is special.
LofMc

 

[Puddin Fluff]

So exciting!

How fun...on Easter...from your broody. That is special.
LofMc

Thanks! My quandary now is whether or not to put a barrier up or not. I thought I would because 1) obviously other birds disturbing new chicks is bad and 2) the nest box is about a foot and a half off the floor of the coop and I don't know how that will work once the babies need food/water.

Suggestions? If I do separate, when do I reintegrate? I would rather not have to go through that if they are good mamas.

 

[n3kms]

My broody, Anastasia, received 10 little incubator chicks from March 31- April 1. Much to my surprise the two eggs she had been sitting on continued to develop and I put them in the incubator. They look like they could hatch any time. If they hatch soon, what are they chances she would take them too and they would do okay? She and the chicks are in a confined space that she can get down to the ground to poop but until I remove the barrier the chicks cannot. So it's not like she can run off and leave them. But all the chicks she has with her are the same breed and are black but these two will not be and thus will look different.