broody on wire bottom cage?

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! I have a broody leghorn ( no roo, no eggs under her) and have been reading about breaking her current mood. The common suggestion seems to be a wire floor cage so air can circulate on the little pink tummy. What I am wondering is if this is hard on their feet, what size wire? Since she is a leghorn and already kinda slim I'd like to get her to "decide" to join the rest out and eating again. However, if I let her stay broody, is it detrimental to her as long as I make sure she eats and drinks? Would she "change her mind" on her own after about 21 days? Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What I am wondering is if this is hard on their feet, what size wire?

I brood my baby chicks on 1/2" hardware cloth and have not had any foot injuries or problems because of that. For an adult leghorn hen, I'd think 1" hardware cloth will work well, but you can always go with 1/2" if you are building from scratch. That might give you a little more flexibility in how you use it in the future.

However, if I let her stay broody, is it detrimental to her as long as I make sure she eats and drinks?

A broody does not eat and drink as much as a non-broody hen and does not get much exercise. They usually lose weight and are more susceptible to parasites. As long as she is eatuinbg and drinking regularly, she will probably be OK, but being broody is hard on them and does increase the risk to them a bit. I personally think it is less cruel and less risky to either give her fertile eggs or to break her.


Would she "change her mind" on her own after about 21 days?

Not likely. They really cannot count the days. They are living animals and anything can happen, but many broodies will sit on eggs for a couple months or more before they stop.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Thanks! I will give breaking her a try. I took her off her nest this morning and had her out for supervised free play for almost 3 hours with a friend. Then I closed the pop door and put them back into the run and doled out lots of treats and greens. She stayed out for quite a while before heading back to the coop. But she stood in the door for a long time looking as if she didn't really know what she was there for and kept muttering to herself. I shooed her back out to the run and she was happily pecking at scratch and greens when I left her. I'll get her back out again this afternoon until I can make a crate for her. I think I will go with the 1/2 " to be safe. My dog and rabbit crates are currently brooding 7 week olds. Wish she had started 7 weeks ago!

Anyway, I am hoping that she isn't sold on this broody thing. She didn't seem upset when I took her out of the nest box and seemed to enjoy her time out in the big world. It would be nice to put her on some fertile eggs, but my newbies will fill my space quota. Thanks again!

 

[carolinasculpture]

OK, I had my broody off the nest as much as I could yesterday, both out in the morning and the afternoon. Then, in the late afternoon when everyone else had laid, I covered the nest boxes for the night. Each time I removed her, she came out of the "trance" sooner. Anyway, last night I constructed a box for her with the 1/2" wire on the floor and planned to put her in it this morning when I went down to uncover the nest boxes for everyone else. Well, much to mu surprise, she was out with the rest of the girls scratching away, not all fluffed up or clucking to her self! I am hoping that she is "cured", but am not convinced. I have checked on her twice since uncovering the boxes...wish me luck! THANKS for all the help...I am prepared for next time, or later today when my little Tweetsie remembers her plastic egg all alone in the nest box.

 

[maggiegigs]

I took CarolinaSculpture's suggestion with covering the nest boxes and it worked! My orpington has been EXTREMELY BROODY...meaning she did not come out of the box for 2 1/2 days to either eat or drink. We finally carried her out ( she is such a lady; no pecking or mussing)
and she sat pancake for quite some time. Finally she got up and walked around. This went on for about another week and yesterday we covered the boxes up completely and she hopped out of the coop and starting eating. Tonight she is on the roost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It became so bad that we had to wash her behind due to the build up. Yuck.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Glad it helped! My Tweetise was back on her nest yesterday, so into the broody box she went. I was surprised that she didn't really seem to mind it at all! I covered the nests in the evening and let her back with her friends. this morning, after treats, I opened the nests and put Tweetsie back into her box. How long do I keep her in the broody box? How will I know when she has "changed her mood"? Thanks!

 

[seahoob]

Yes, working to break a broody can be challenging at times. My blue orpington is on day 8 of being broody but seems to be snapping out of it. I simply locked her out of the nest boxes and hen house and forced her to have a better attitude. However, this little smarty tried to fool me once by pretending to be feeling better in order to get me to let my guard down and open up the hen house. But like I said, today she was the first out of the house and does not appear interested in going back in. Guess I'll wait and see. I was told that when she lays an egg is the only real sign of breaking her broodiness.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Three days usually works for me, but some can be harder. You can kind of tell if she is no plnger making that broody puk, puk sound and not fluffed up like a mad turkey, but the only real way is if she goes back to her nest when you let her out.

 

[carolinasculpture]

I'm gonna try her in the box for 3 days and see if that does it. She "faked me out" once already. The being in the box doesn't seem to bother her, but all she does is sit there...is this too much like being on a nest, is there something else I should be doing? Thanks!