Broody marmite

[Debs992993]

Hi all, I am after a bit of help, one of our hens has gone very broody this would be her first week, we aren't in the position to allow her to hatch eggs, and I don't know what to do for her, she is so hot I've tried cooling her in a bucket of water and she has also lost so much weight I keep on taking her off the nest where she will eat little drink clean herself then mutters all the way back on to her nest, is there anything I can do to make life a little better for her? Am I doing the right thing making her eat and drink?

 

[GitaBooks]

Broody chickens can be so stubborn sometimes!

If you don't want her raising a clutch then you should try to break her up. Put her in a cage without any bedding or eggs, some people suggest a wire floor. I wouldn't suggest the starving method, where you don't give them food and water, but putting them in a cage can help reset their mind. This can be stressful on them, but it is better then them losing weight.


Hope this helps. Best of luck!

 

[Debs992993]

I have a metal dog cage so I'll get that set up tonight, I would have automatically put hay in so thanks for that tip I'll go and get some towels . Unfortunately this morning she sounds like she has respiratory problems so she's on her medication for that. Is it easy to reintroduce them back to the others? After this is over

 

[GitaBooks]

I find that after reintroduction, the roosters all fall in love with the hen and sometimes it can be overwhelming to her.

However, I would think that the other hens should mostly except her reappearance, especially if the crate is in seeing/hearing range.

Hope it all works out!

 

[aart]

Keep the wire crate in the coop or run if possible...and let her out at least once a day, more if possible.
Get crate up off the ground for air circulation...use a fan blowing under there if it's really hot and possible.

Here's my broody break crate.......water nipple bottle was added after pic was taken.



My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some watered down crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

 

[Debs992993]

Thanks for the advice, I have her in dig cage unfortunately the bottom isn't wired but it is metal, she is in the house at the moment but going to move her to the shed for tonight then I. The coop tomorrow. Did yours sleep in the cage or did you let them roost on the nest?

 

[aart]

Thanks for the advice, I have her in dig cage unfortunately the bottom isn't wired but it is metal, she is in the house at the moment but going to move her to the shed for tonight then I. The coop tomorrow. Did yours sleep in the cage or did you let them roost on the nest?

Anyway you can turn the crate on it's side so she's standing/sitting on wire mesh?

Yes, she slept in there....don't want to let them back on the nest.

You know they're broke when the don't go back to nest during an outing from crate ......and then they go to roost with the others.