Broody, unhappy hen-advice?

[bmetz]

Most of mine have broke after a few days in a cage, but I’ve had a couple that were really hard to break. I think that if they sit in the nest for a few days before trying to break them, it can be harder. Also, if your breaking area allows them to nest at all, it might not work. I had a silkie this summer that I could not break. After trying several times I finally gave her eggs and let her go through incubation. She also was terrible at eating and drinking when broody; I had to take her out daily to get her to eat and drink a tiny bit. Her eggs didn’t hatch (long story but shipped eggs) and she had lost so much weight by then. So ended up with a last minute chick shipment and slipped chicks under her. She’s done great with them and ate nonstop for days after getting those chicks! Without going through the whole incubation period and ending with chicks, I don’t know that I could have broken her broodiness, but there were other factors, like the death of all of her good friends just before all of this. I don’t think that your hen sounds as extreme as my silkie but it may take a few more days...

Thank you! Sorry just saw this..never got a notification. I believe you are right...she sat for a few days so it took longer for her to snap out of it. Awww, glad she ended up getting some babies. She has a great chicken parent! So sorry she lost her friends. Poor girl. Maybe she figured her babies would be her new buddies! Your picture...they are so cute!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So she has been "broken" of her broodiness since Monday night/Tues morning. Before when she was broody clucking, a few hens were after her. Now she is no longer broody and no longer clucking in the coop or run but there is still one hen after her. I believe she has pulled some of the feathers on her neck and I am not happy about that. The broody one flies up on a roost in the run or sometimes goes in the coop and gets on that roost and hangs out. Not sure if I should try to do something here. Don't want my broody, sweet girl getting hurt anymore. Not sure how to stop the aggression from the one hen. Is it possible to stop it? The others don't seem to have anything against her...just the one hen as far as I know. Do I need to bring broody back in(not my favorite option to have a chicken in the sunroom in a crate lol) or do I need to rehome the mean one, or just let it play out a bit longer? I just don't want my broody girl not enjoying life you know? She is already missing the feathers she pulled to nest etc and I just hate that she is not able to be like before/like the others. I did put food and water in coop in case the mean hen is keeping her from eating/drinking freely. Any thoughts? Thank you guys!

Well, I’ve been surprised at the number of BYC posters on other threads who say that they don’t tolerate mean hens... What do they do with their mean hens: Pep talks? Butcher? Cull? None of those really work for me... I know in one recent discussion there was talk about cull vs pinless peepers for a bully hen. I have multiple mean hens, unfortunately, but I also have spaces away from the other birds, so any picked on birds can get out of the line of sight of the bullies... I’ve also taken a single bully and put into isolation for awhile. That tends to knock them back a bit in confidence so they have other things to think about with reintegration with the flock instead of picking on one hen. Removing the bully for a bit might also give your formerly broody hen more time to regain her place with the rest of the flock...

 

[aart]

I have multiple mean hens, unfortunately, but I also have spaces away from the other birds, so any picked on birds can get out of the line of sight of the bullies

Yep.... someone is always getting 'picked on' or run away from feeder/waterer,
it's the pecking order. It's not finite and often 'ugly.
Lots of space, multiple feed and water stations helps.

 

[bmetz]

Well, I’ve been surprised at the number of BYC posters on other threads who say that they don’t tolerate mean hens... What do they do with their mean hens: Pep talks? Butcher? Cull? None of those really work for me... I know in one recent discussion there was talk about cull vs pinless peepers for a bully hen. I have multiple mean hens, unfortunately, but I also have spaces away from the other birds, so any picked on birds can get out of the line of sight of the bullies... I’ve also taken a single bully and put into isolation for awhile. That tends to knock them back a bit in confidence so they have other things to think about with reintegration with the flock instead of picking on one hen. Removing the bully for a bit might also give your formerly broody hen more time to regain her place with the rest of the flock...

Yeah, I am like crap...now this. Haha. Always something it seems...not always necessarily chickens but just life. Lol yep, don't see a pep talk working and silly to cull if can try something else. My worst case scenario would be to see if my brother would take her, he has a new property with plenty of room and has been thinking of getting chickens again. I will try your idea...makes so much sense that the mean one now gets the "chicken jail" lol. How long do you think is long enough maybe? I will try that today and see if any others pick on her once the mean one is removed. Lol I had another mean one...not mean to the other hens but to me...and called her Mother Clucker...hahaha...maybe should have used that name for this new mean one. She is witchy! Lol. Thank you for the advice!

 

[bmetz]

Yep.... someone is always getting 'picked on' or run away from feeder/waterer,
it's the pecking order. It's not finite and often 'ugly.
Lots of space, multiple feed and water stations helps.

Guess I was just lucky before..the girls would have a little tiff here and there but never anyone needing to hide or getting feathers pulled. The mean hen has it out for broody ever since she came back to the group. When I first tried putting her back and she ended up broody clucking...2 hens were after her. Now just the one holding a grudge apparently. Rude. Lol

 

[SW31]

I’ve just had one like that. I just get taking her off the nest on a regular basis and now she’s over it. She kept behaving like your description and I found being firm with her worked in the end. She also started to realise she was missing out on treats and that was a strong motivating factor plus the heat in the nesting box was getting too much for her.

 

[aart]

Guess I was just lucky before..the girls would have a little tiff here and there but never anyone needing to hide or getting feathers pulled. The mean hen has it out for broody ever since she came back to the group. When I first tried putting her back and she ended up broody clucking...2 hens were after her. Now just the one holding a grudge apparently. Rude. Lol

Yeah, they can get rather neurotic with certain behaviors...I've only had a few that were really focused on abusing another.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yeah, I am like crap...now this. Haha. Always something it seems...not always necessarily chickens but just life. Lol yep, don't see a pep talk working and silly to cull if can try something else. My worst case scenario would be to see if my brother would take her, he has a new property with plenty of room and has been thinking of getting chickens again. I will try your idea...makes so much sense that the mean one now gets the "chicken jail" lol. How long do you think is long enough maybe? I will try that today and see if any others pick on her once the mean one is removed. Lol I had another mean one...not mean to the other hens but to me...and called her Mother Clucker...hahaha...maybe should have used that name for this new mean one. She is witchy! Lol. Thank you for the advice!

Maybe just try for a day or two and see how it goes? Good luck with your own mean girls!!!

 

[bmetz]

So today I didn't see the mean one going after her at all when I went out. She didn't seem to be focused on her but the broody one is still flighty. If more than one or two chickens by her...she takes off like she is going to be attacked. She did come in the coop with me and ate and drank some while in there. Another hen came in...she let her get right by her..and she promptly pecked her away from the food. So she is not afraid in the coop/with less chickens...not sure how I can boost her confidence or if it just something she will have to snap out of. Hmm. She did lay again today!