Broody or crazy what do I do?

beachchickie

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I do not have a rooster. I have an EE that today act so strange. She went in to lay, stayed her 2hrs which is normal for her. She came out stayed for 30min or so and then back to the nest for 2 more hrs. Suddenly she came running out got water, I gave her a snack she stayed out for 2hrs or so. I picked up all eggs as I normally do, then I noticed her missing about an hour later when it was time to be locked in. I searched high and low and DH says look in the birthing suite, sure enough she is back on the empty nest. What is up? What should I do? Never had a broody b/f. She puffs herself out every time she sees me and makes all kinds of noise but she runs from me. What to do?
 
Hi
She definately sounds broody. You don't need a rooster for the girl to go broody. It is a natural process.
She sounds alittle confused by this maybe first time being broody & yes they get grouchy and puff their feathers
out at you during this time
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Some snap out of this fast others may take a month
As long as she is eating & drinking she is fine
Good Luck
 
Sounds like she's going broody, but isn't quite there yet. You really have three choices, four if you count doing nothing.

1. Put her in a broody breaker--you can do a search, but basically a wire bottom cage with food/water but NO nesting material. It usually takes 3-5 days and she'll start laying again, though may go broody again later.

2. Wait a few days until she is full on broody and put some fertile eggs under her to hatch. I put 11 Rouen duck eggs under one of my girls--I hate brooding ducklings so I'm "letting" her do it.
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3. Give her some fake eggs and let her sit for a couple of weeks and then sneak some day old chicks under her. I've had good luck with this and you can buy pullets as day olds so you don't get so many roos as with eggs.

4. Do nothing. I don't like this one because some of the more stubborn girls will try to hatch shavings for months. They don't take good care of themselves while they're broody and it can hurt their health if it goes on for too long. Also they don't lay while they're broody so for me it's a no brainer, I use them or break them.
 
Well, I don't have any fertile eggs or any chicks to trick her with. I shoved her out of the nest tonite at dusk. She was not happy but it was dark and she could not see me. Any other suggestions? I can put her in a cage by herself with food and no nest material but I am afraid she will make a bunch of noise and I live in the city. Can I just keep pushing her out of the nest. I only have 2 nesting boxes and 4 hens. THey all seem to love one side. She has not stopped laying but she may soon. I saw somewhere someone dipped the hens in water. Do they tend to peck you if you bother them?
 
Personnally I have let a few of my Hens just stay in the nesting box and they have eventually snapped out of it.
The other hens if they want to lay an egg in that nest they will push her out or I have had two hens squeeze in the same
nest & lay an egg. If after a month she doesn't snap out of it then I worry.
 
Well, I put her in the baby girls cage today while all are out free ranging. I checked on her and she just puffs up like a turkey. She is not fussing about the incarceration and the other big girls visit her like"whatever you did I don't want to do that".
Do you think I can let her out to her own cage to roost with the others tonite and put her back in the baby girl cage tomorrow?
 

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