Dead broody hen!? *update*

[MareeZoCool]

I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.

I never heard of a chicken starving to death, maybe she was older than you think?

Do you have an incubator, did you salvage the eggs? I apologize, don't mean to sound cold -hearted.

I'm not very good with Proper words.

 

[newlyweds]

Oh no so sorry to hear this. Maybe since she hadn't pooped, Idk. Glad you have a back up incubator. Good luck on the eggs.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I'm so sorry.

 

[cluckers&quackers]

Many people believe that a hen will not let herself die on the nest. I myself believe they will. A friend of mine had a bantam hen that was always broody and determined to sit, but when she was sitting she flat out refused to get off her eggs, he had to offer her food and water, well one time his hen disappeared so he assumed she was setting somewhere, he never found her until he heard chicks peeping in the barn, when he found them the mother was dead on the nest.

Now of course I'm not saying that every hen out there will let themselves die, but I do believe it is possible to have a hen so determined that she dies trying.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
We moved her because that is what I had read here to do. I thought it was to protect her and her chicks from the other hens.

Coulda been me that gave you that advise. I found out a long time ago that broodies need their very own private place to set, not only to keep other hens from adding to the clutch, but to keep the rooster from bothering her. Also, some hens are not able to defend their chicks from other hens. Best to keep them all safe, in my book. Reintro`s aren`t that bad as long as everyone has plenty of room. Of course if you ask peoples opinions, you`re gonna get as many answers. Doesn`t make any of them gospel......Pop

 

[Kittymomma]

So sorry. I don't think moving her is what made her die or that she starved/dehydrated to death either. There was a thread awhile back where the stress of brooding brought out a latent case of Mareks so that is a possibility. I'd also check the rest of your flock and see if you may have a lice/mites problem. They are much more sucseptatble to parasites when they are broody so even a relatively minor infestation in the rest of the flock could of been much worse for her.

As far as the eggs go I wouldn't give up on them just yet. I had a broody get confused and get sit back down on the wrong nest after her food/water/elimination break. When I got home the eggs were cold, not cool but cold to the touch. I put her back on the correct nest and fixed it so that couldn't happen again and she hatched out 9/11 eggs the other day. One started to zip and died and the other had quit very early on and well before they got cold.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

 

[cherylcohen]

I had a broody that ended up dying of mareks, she would not get up, I had to take her out to poo each day and hand feed her. In the end the doctor thinks the stress brought on the mareks. Oh and we have had mareks on our property so she was a carrier obviously, I don't mean to say that being broody made her get it, just the stress brought it on.

 

[teach1rusl]

I honestly don't think my hen that's currently broody will get off the nest on her own. I've let her go 24 hours once, but every day since then I actually remove her from the nest 2x a day to encourage her to poop, eat and drink. She usually hits the water first when I toss her off...so thirsty.
Like Pop said, you're gonna' get lots of different advice here on the forum, because people have different opinions, histories, and experiences. Some remove the bird and eggs to a "safe" spot asap, others wait till the chicks have hatched. Some never touch the hens/eggs/chicks, leaving it up to the hen.
What happened to your poor girl may not even be related to her broody behaviors??? Sorry you lost her.

 

[Smeamers]

Thanks for all the replies. Now I know to listen to *my* instincts when I don't think a hen is getting up while broody.