Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

My new broody, Lil'girl is so far acting like a first time broody, which is what she is. So far I'm having a hard time coaxing her off her next. Today is day 3/4 for her. I can get her to eat from my hand but she is resisting my attempts to get her up to eat, drink and poo even though I've put her food and water out of reach.
Aggie was the same the first time she brooded. I have to say, Lil'girl is being her own broody. Where Aggie would sit and stare into space as if in a trance, Lil'girl seems very aware of what is going on around her. She is sitting on two Buff O eggs and 1 Welsummer egg from our flock and 8 donated Old English Game Bantam eggs. I hope some of them hatch out for her.

 

[nchls school]

HELP!!! I just realized that my mother hen has a bad case of lice. I'm not quite sure what to do. She has one chick which I don't want getting lice. I have washed her in soap, then bleach, then vinegar. I got quite a few of them off, but there are still a ton left, mainly young white ones. I don't want to use dusting powder as the baby will be burying under her feathers. 
Would the lice even go for the chick? Does anyone have any idea how i could get them off her without harming the baby?       Thank you!

I use Sevin-5. It is safe to use with chicks. I raise serama bantams; strictly pets.

 

[Selsley]

15 week update on the 11 eggs my Little Hen set and hatched, ended up with 5 pullets, 5 cockerels and 1 undetermined. At 9 weeks I butchered all but 5 pullets.
15 weeks ago:


Today, these are the three hens I kept out of 5 pullets, other 2 went back to the friend who gave me the eggs. Kept the ones with the most EE characterstics. (Moms are EE, dad is light brahma

nice

 

[dishpanhanzs]

I don't dust then but I put the dust in the nest area where they sleep under the straw or pine chips, whatever you use for bedding. I dust all the perches where they sleep & I add cedar chips in between the dusting powder & straw or pine chips. It works for me. I always treat the whole flock because if one has it, they all do. My father, who is 90 yrs old & grew up on a chicken ranch, said they used to paint the perches with nicotine oil or creosote to kill the bugs at night when they crawl off the chickens.

 

[FaerieChicken]

HELP!!! I just realized that my mother hen has a bad case of lice. I'm not quite sure what to do. She has one chick which I don't want getting lice. I have washed her in soap, then bleach, then vinegar. I got quite a few of them off, but there are still a ton left, mainly young white ones. I don't want to use dusting powder as the baby will be burying under her feathers.
Would the lice even go for the chick? Does anyone have any idea how i could get them off her without harming the baby?

Thank you!

Im not sure about BLEACH, but you could use the Poultry Dust and DE to help out. Also get some Fresh MINT and put in the nest with her. I am not sure the babies will be affected by the lice right now, at least until they feather out!

Also, ensure you have lots of protein for her to eat and electrolytes in their water. It will help her to re-feather and not be under so much stress.

Afterthought:
Are you sure she has the lice, did you see the bugs? I only ask because when a hen is broody, their feathers look bad because they either pluck them out or they just end up falling out on the chest due to sitting all the time..... IF you don't see eggs, bugs or droppings from the the lice, I would not be too worried!

 

[wyandottegirl]

Im not sure about BLEACH, but you could use the Poultry Dust and DE to help out. Also get some Fresh MINT and put in the nest with her. I am not sure the babies will be affected by the lice right now, at least until they feather out! 

Also, ensure you have lots of protein for her to eat and electrolytes in their water. It will help her to re-feather and not be under so much stress. 

Afterthought:

 Are you sure she has the lice, did you see the bugs? I only ask because when a hen is broody, their feathers look bad because they either pluck them out or they just end up falling out on the chest due to sitting all the time..... IF you don't see eggs, bugs or droppings from the the lice, I would not be too worried!

Thank you for the suggestions. I did see them on her and one on her baby. She has quite a lot. What exactly does the mint do?

 

[FaerieChicken]

Thank you for the suggestions. I did see them on her and one on her baby. She has quite a lot. What exactly does the mint do?

Mint is supposed to be a natural deterrent, if you leave fresh sprigs in the nesting areas and replace every couple of days, it will hopefully get rid of them, they will disperse, then with out a host die, but you would have to continue it for a few weeks, since there are more than likely eggs on your girl that would hatch!

 

[FaerieChicken]

I also found this on http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/04/natural-pest-control.html

Lice
Mix 2 cups of salt into 2 gallons of warm water. Soak the hen for 10 minutes, then soak her for five minutes in a tub of 2 gallons of warm water with 1/2 cup of Dawn dishwashing liquid and 1/2 cup of white vinegar mixed in. The lice should drown and float to the top. Rinse her well and dry her thoroughly. Dust with food-grade Diatomaceous Earth. Repeat every other day or so until you no longer see evidence of the lice.
Apply coconut oil every day for five days.
Squirt apple cider vinegar onto the affected hens where you see the lice.
Essential oils sprayed onto the affected hens that kill lice include: lavender, rosemary, clove, thyme, anise, cinnamon leaf, red thyme, peppermint, nutmeg​

 

[slordaz]

My new broody, Lil'girl is so far acting like a first time broody, which is what she is. So far I'm having a hard time coaxing her off her next. Today is day 3/4 for her. I can get her to eat from my hand but she is resisting my attempts to get her up to eat, drink and poo even though I've put her food and water out of reach.
Aggie was the same the first time she brooded. I have to say, Lil'girl is being her own broody. Where Aggie would sit and stare into space as if in a trance, Lil'girl seems very aware of what is going on around her. She is sitting on two Buff O eggs and 1 Welsummer egg from our flock and 8 donated Old English Game Bantam eggs. I hope some of them hatch out for her.

well I have a very determined Leghorn that goes broody but doesn't have the patience and haven't figured it out, we took the eggs away from her as she immediately went broody with the appearance of an egg that someone was nice enough to lay early. as we blocked off her nesting box completely she then tried to take the first time broody br's eggs and nest over. At least she's behaving, she now is just going in to keep em warm while the broody gets up to eat drink and stretch for a bit. which the real broody is tolerating pretty well. Trying to decide what to do with this Leghorn though farthes broody she's made it is 17 days. She is looking good but 4 months is a bit rediculous, any other ideas caged her for a week in the wire cage hanging up off the floor and she still went to either trying to sit or push the other broodies outta their nest.

Maybe in the spring just get her some chicks to raise?

 

[RobandSue2]

Found a hen under the porch sitting on 13 eggs...no idea how long she has been there....moved her today for protection. It went well she is back on top.
I am new to this...could these be all her eggs? She is an EE.....