Brown leghorn.. broody?

[JedJackson]

Leghorns are often unreliable broodies when they try it, many times abandoning the nest after a week or so. I would try to break her of broodiness rather than giving her eggs to hatch.

 

[TerriChad2020]

Breed matters to how often it's seen on average (or the proneness) but not to the individual. Any breed including Leghorn, sex-link hybrids or the like can go broody. Many can also be successful. Removing eggs will not be enough in MOST cases to break a broody. Using a breaker sooner than later will diminish time required to "break the cycle". If indeed she is broody.. you can usually count on her being that way again in the future. Those who are normal with the instinct (not excessively so) may go broody once or twice per year.. some obsessed (by no choice of their own) may go broody every third egg to every 6 weeks.. Mind you being broody more often doesn't make for actual better mums, imo. But for real.. EVERY experience with any individual may vary above their stereotype especially.

Many will lay another egg or two as those hormones build. And all will still take outings for dust bathing, eating, pooping, maintain pecking order, etc.. they will not be pooping inside the nest the way a sleeping bird might.. as their instinct is to preserve cleanliness of the nest. Many will also start this clucking sound or other indicative behaviors shortly before starting to sit full time.


That's an opposite symptom than illness (like egg binding).. which usually sees passive lethargy, not able to pass droppings, going off food and water, avoiding flock mates, etc..

All current symptoms indicate she is gearing up to sit. How old is she?

The known (or alleged) flightiness (weariness, predator awareness) of Leghorn and likely hood to be scared off the nest may be one reason they aren't known for their mothering.. but your's will not be the first should you decide to allow her to continue. Definitely don't let breed be the reason broodiness is ruled in or out.


Your not worried for their safety on top of the coop? (owl, raccoon, etc) Is your other bantam (size not breed) also broody or just sleeps in the box at night?

Gold laced is a feather color pattern.. tan eggs indicates some things about breed.. but not really.. are you unsure (want any help identifying) or just didn't use details?

Most broody's may be a bit dazed for a couple moments when first removed from the nest but should quickly start some normal behaviors or attempting to return to the original nest box.

If you see any changes.. like lethargy or passiveness.. then take immediate action and start a new thread in the emergency section.. checking for egg binding and crop function being the first things to rule in or out.

Here's to hoping for continued fun, strong, and healthy, thriving chicken adventures!

So she is a year old. The bantams are same age around about. They sleep in top of the coop but the one sleeps regularly inside that nesting box. The bantams tend to lay eggs all over the place they didn't start laying till this spring isis (my brown leghorn) has been laying since last week of last August. The coop is covered and protected from any predators there's also a motion camera and spotlight on the coop at night. I believe she's probably broody because this is going on the 3rd day.. she laid an egg on Tues and was squaking (her egg song) louder and for a lot longer than usual even after I showed her I got your egg it's all good. There are no roosters and there hasn't been an egg since tues and the addressing aggressiveness when I've tried to reach under her makes me think she's got to be broody but she's been making a little trill kinda noise I've never heard which made me wonder. This is my 1st time with chickens. And since it's a new behavior it has me a bit worried. I do have a dog cage I guess I could set up to break her of the broodiness.

 

[TerriChad2020]

Breed matters to how often it's seen on average (or the proneness) but not to the individual. Any breed including Leghorn, sex-link hybrids or the like can go broody. Many can also be successful. Removing eggs will not be enough in MOST cases to break a broody. Using a breaker sooner than later will diminish time required to "break the cycle". If indeed she is broody.. you can usually count on her being that way again in the future. Those who are normal with the instinct (not excessively so) may go broody once or twice per year.. some obsessed (by no choice of their own) may go broody every third egg to every 6 weeks.. Mind you being broody more often doesn't make for actual better mums, imo. But for real.. EVERY experience with any individual may vary above their stereotype especially.

Many will lay another egg or two as those hormones build. And all will still take outings for dust bathing, eating, pooping, maintain pecking order, etc.. they will not be pooping inside the nest the way a sleeping bird might.. as their instinct is to preserve cleanliness of the nest. Many will also start this clucking sound or other indicative behaviors shortly before starting to sit full time.


That's an opposite symptom than illness (like egg binding).. which usually sees passive lethargy, not able to pass droppings, going off food and water, avoiding flock mates, etc..

All current symptoms indicate she is gearing up to sit. How old is she?

The known (or alleged) flightiness (weariness, predator awareness) of Leghorn and likely hood to be scared off the nest may be one reason they aren't known for their mothering.. but your's will not be the first should you decide to allow her to continue. Definitely don't let breed be the reason broodiness is ruled in or out.


Your not worried for their safety on top of the coop? (owl, raccoon, etc) Is your other bantam (size not breed) also broody or just sleeps in the box at night?

Gold laced is a feather color pattern.. tan eggs indicates some things about breed.. but not really.. are you unsure (want any help identifying) or just didn't use details?

Most broody's may be a bit dazed for a couple moments when first removed from the nest but should quickly start some normal behaviors or attempting to return to the original nest box.

If you see any changes.. like lethargy or passiveness.. then take immediate action and start a new thread in the emergency section.. checking for egg binding and crop function being the first things to rule in or out.

Here's to hoping for continued fun, strong, and healthy, thriving chicken adventures!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How's she doing today?

 

[TerriChad2020]

How's she doing today?

Well the last few days have been exciting... lol not really. So she is def broody. I have the dog crate from when we had it set up in the house for the new chocks we had gotten in March so I turned it into her little broody chicken box. I placed it up on 4 cinder blocks so it's up off the ground. She's got food and water... but the 3 faverolle babies who are not babies anymore they are getting big but they are also loving sleeping up on top of the crate over top of her. She went in on friday night. I let her out Saturday she went right to the nesting box so we put her back in the crate. Then sun let her out and thought all was good she went out of the pen foraged a little took a dust bath then went off to find her girls, it seemed they were going on with reestablishing pecking order(she was the alpha, now not so sure). Anyways bedtime all went back to the pen and we're getting into their places I went in to check on everyone & she was back in the nesting box& totally trying to hatch some imaginary eggs. Needless to say back to the box she went.. Monday let everyone out she ran right to the box again I closed everything up so she couldn't get back up there but at bedtime she's trying her darndest to get in the nesting box & back to her box she went... today is Wednesday and she's still a super brooder lol. How long does it take to break her of it. Should I keep her in there for a couple of few days in a row without letting her out? I feel like I need to let her out so I can be sure she's getting enough nutrients.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Should I keep her in there for a couple of few days in a row without letting her out? I feel like I need to let her out so I can be sure she's getting enough nutrients.

Since she's so persistent she should be kept locked up consistently (other than breaks to maybe dust bathe, and to test whether or not she's going back to the nests). My most persistent broody takes 4-5 days to break sometimes.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have the dog crate from when we had it set up in the house for the new chocks we had gotten in March so I turned it into her little broody chicken box. I placed it up on 4 cinder blocks so it's up off the ground.

With a hardware cloth or wire bottom of sorts and no bedding?

My longest broody to break took 10 days.. but that's very unusual. 3-5 days is most common in my experience.

My ambient temps are near 60.. it may be harder in warmer weather since part of the whole lifted breaker is about air circulation to help cool the abdomen (thereby decreasing hormones). I do NOT advocate for cold dunks but depending on your weather pattern some evaporative cooling *might* be a consideration, if it continues to drag on.

I feel like I need to let her out so I can be sure she's getting enough nutrients.

She should be getting enough since you said she has food and water.

Just check back every 15-30 minutes when you do test her.. that way she can't be sitting for hours before you find her.. also testing after you've closed up the boxes is a good idea..

I'm glad she's going strong and healthy.. Frustrating as it can be, this is more of a good problem to have than some other concerns might be. Hang in there!

 

[TerriChad2020]

With a hardware cloth or wire bottom of sorts and no bedding?

My longest broody to break took 10 days.. but that's very unusual. 3-5 days is most common in my experience.

My ambient temps are near 60.. it may be harder in warmer weather since part of the whole lifted breaker is about air circulation to help cool the abdomen (thereby decreasing hormones). I do NOT advocate for cold dunks but depending on your weather pattern some evaporative cooling *might* be a consideration, if it continues to drag on.


She should be getting enough since you said she has food and water.

Just check back every 15-30 minutes when you do test her.. that way she can't be sitting for hours before you find her.. also testing after you've closed up the boxes is a good idea..

I'm glad she's going strong and healthy.. Frustrating as it can be, this is more of a good problem to have than some other concerns might be. Hang in there!

 

[TerriChad2020]

Agreed, frustrating, but there's definately worse problems to have. So I'm thankful it's just a hormonal thing rather than a health problem.

 

[TerriChad2020]

So here we are day 10 & she is still broody as ever... I tried to keto her in her little cage for a longer extended time but unfortunately when I came home from work yesteryear my husband had left her out because she was being so noisy. Back in she went by the end of the day. I'm really not sure what else to do with her most day by this point she should be good. Any suggestions I don't want to see her needing to stay in this cage much longer but letting her out seems to return her to the nesting box even if it's not right away.