Broody Hen

[NectarineRN]

I have 2 ladies. My brown one is broody and still laying eggs. She leaves the box to eat and drink when i take her out. We are in Florida and it is really hot. I noticed today she is finally out of the box. However, her comb is really pale. She has been broody for over 3 weeks. My black lady is fine. However, she has not laid in over 3 weeks. She has missing feathers from her underside. She has never gone broody a day. This is the 2nd time in 4 months my brown one has gone broody. Both times my black one has stopped laying. I provided alternate sites for her to lay with no success. Both have lost weight and my black ones feathers are a hot mess. I sprayed them both for parasites. I have not seen anything on them.
I am looking in to some in site as to what the issue is. I have since cleaned out the hen house and replaced all bedding and sprayed down everything. They get kale, meal worms, fruits and veggies every day or every other day depending on my schedule. I change the water every other day and clean the coop weekly. I am concerned for my ladies. Any help would be appreciated. Grace is the brown one and Audrea is the black one.

 

[Pyxis]

I think you're mixing up who is laying which eggs, because a hen stops laying when broody, so your broody hen wasn't laying those eggs, your other hen was. It's not that your black hen stopped laying when your brown hen was broody, it's that your broody brown hen stopped laying eggs because she was broody. Your black chicken was simply still laying her eggs in that nest.

As to why her comb is pale, brooding is hard on a chicken. She needs to recover. In the future, if you are not going to let her hatch eggs, break her of her broodiness when she first goes broody, because that is what is best for her. No need to let her put herself through it for no reason.

 

[andreanar]

x2

 

[ChickNanny13]

To break broodiness = wire cage! It's not mean & works fast IF you do it ASAP.

I thought it mean so did everything else; cooled the broody down, removed whenever in the nest, blocked of the nest after others laid. Nothing stopped her, she lost weight & I got desperate, got the wire cage. It took 3 days but that's great. Another wen't broody but broke her in a day cause I put her in immediately.

WIRE CAGE!

 

[andreanar]

To break broodiness = wire cage! It's not mean & works fast IF you do it ASAP.

I thought it mean so did everything else; cooled the broody down, removed whenever in the nest, blocked of the nest after others laid. Nothing stopped her, she lost weight & I got desperate, got the wire cage. It took 3 days but that's great. Another wen't broody but broke her in a day cause I put her in immediately.

WIRE CAGE!

Same with me the first time, but my marans would not break and she was getting run down. So much better to break them quickly.

 

[NectarineRN]

I think you're mixing up who is laying which eggs, because a hen stops laying when broody, so your broody hen wasn't laying those eggs, your other hen was. It's not that your black hen stopped laying when your brown hen was broody, it's that your broody brown hen stopped laying eggs because she was broody. Your black chicken was simply still laying her eggs in that nest.

As to why her comb is pale, brooding is hard on a chicken. She needs to recover. In the future, if you are not going to let her hatch eggs, break her of her broodiness when she first goes broody, because that is what is best for her. No need to let her put herself through it for no reason.

To be clear my black hen only lays blue eggs. All eggs collected are brown. My black hen has stopped laying and my brown hen is still laying.

I think you're mixing up who is laying which eggs, because a hen stops laying when broody, so your broody hen wasn't laying those eggs, your other hen was. It's not that your black hen stopped laying when your brown hen was broody, it's that your broody brown hen stopped laying eggs because she was broody. Your black chicken was simply still laying her eggs in that nest.

As to why her comb is pale, brooding is hard on a chicken. She needs to recover. In the future, if you are not going to let her hatch eggs, break her of her broodiness when she first goes broody, because that is what is best for her. No need to let her put herself through it for no reason.

 

[NectarineRN]

Same with me the first time, but my marans would not break and she was getting run down. So much better to break them quickly.

The last time I attempted to break her she was relentless. I will try the wire cage next time. I have done so much research on this the last few weeks. I am at a loss as to why she keeps going broody, why she continues to lay and my black one stops. When it should be the other way around. Brown eggs only since she went broody. Black one lays blue eggs. I have done the ice. It doesn't help etc. I will try wire cage next.

 

[Pyxis]

To be clear my black hen only lays blue eggs. All eggs collected are brown. My black hen has stopped laying and my brown hen is still laying.

Are you sure on which one lays each color eggs? Have you marked vents or seen them lay the eggs yourself? Is it possible that the brown hen lays the blue eggs and the black hen lays the brown ones?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Are you sure on which one lays each color eggs? Have you marked vents or seen them lay the eggs yourself? Is it possible that the brown hen lays the blue eggs and the black hen lays the brown ones?

X2

From the pics of your hens, I would bet the brown hen lays the blue eggs and the black hen lays the brown eggs...

 

[Pyxis]

I just found this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-blue-egg-layer-just-laid-a-brown-egg.1146124/

Which of these hens did you see lay the brown egg?

I am at a loss as to why she keeps going broody

It's because her hormones tell her to. Some chickens are just very prone to going broody. It also runs strongly in some breeds, while in others it has been all but eradicated. She will probably keep going broody, and you'll just have to break her each time unless you want to let her hatch eggs and raise chicks. As was recommended above, as soon as she goes broody, put her in a wire bottom cage for a day or two until she stops trying to sit.