Extreme Broody Behavior?

[No More Empty Nest]

My almost year old bantam cochin has been in a small crate and is still broody for a week now. The crate is up on bricks and has a metal cookie rack on the bottom, no bedding. I have a 2x4 for her to roost on. She has food and water in it. She doesn't roost on the 2x4, she sits on the grate like she's sitting on a nest even though the area is very small. I let her out with the other ones twice a day to forage and get exercise. She will eat a bit, drink a bit and poop. I have the run door closed or she'll go into the nest box. After she's done eating, etc. she runs around outside of the enclosure jumping at the hardware cloth trying to get back in, clucking and clucking. I've tried putting her on the roost at night on a couple days when she seemed like she was getting better, but she jumps right down and goes in the nest box. Even when I moved her at midnight, hoping she'd be sound asleep.
Today when I picked her up she felt lighter and I realized I can feel her breast bone. I gave her some scrambled egg and she gobbled it down, thank goodness. I'm also worried about her feet getting hurt on the grate since she's sitting on it most of the time. So tonight I just let her be in the nest box. I put a bowl of moistened feed next to her and a small feeder and waterer are right outside the nest box. I'll give her more egg tomorrow.
She's the lowest in the pecking order and the others (there are only 3 others) have been horrible to her when I let her out. They don't want her to eat at all. I let her out this evening by herself but she still wasn't interested in eating her normal feed.
So what do I do about her? Will she eventually stop being broody on her own since the crate doesn't seem to be working? What other foods can I give her if she won't eat her feed?

 

[ShannonR]

I wonder if she has some sort of reproductive issue going on... is she laying eggs at all? My first thought is eggbound, but it's hard to say.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

She's not laying now but was laying right up to when she started showing broody behavior. She walks around when outside clucking like a broody does. She also gets angry when I take her out of the nest box, bites sometimes. She's usually very very friendly. She's the one I always pick up to let my little grandson pet her.
I can check tomorrow tho, see if I feel anything inside. I certainly don't want to miss it if something else is wrong.

 

[aart]

Sounds pretty typically broody.
It can be harder to break them in the how weather.
I'd leave her in the crate for 3 days....24/7.
If she's hungry enough she'll eat her feed but giving scrambled egg is fine.
Put crate in the shade, move it around during the day if you have to.
Wetting her belly in cool (not cold) water before crating can help.
Toss a frozen water bottle in there with her.
Some folks run a fan blowing under the crate to help cool them.
Post pic of crate please?

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Here's the crate outside. I put it inside the coop at night. I did have bedding under it in there. I'd forgotten air circulation was needed, not just that she can't nest in it. So hopefully it'll go better now. I'm freezing some water bottles so they aren't there yet. Where do I put those? Right in the crate or under it?
It has been in the 90s the past few days so that didn't help either. I'd thought she was getting better until those temps.

I put her in it after I took the picture. I did move the back brick out a bit so there's more space under where she sits. I also have a little dish of grit for her since she's been in there so long.

 

[aart]

Right in the crate or under it?

Either would be fine...kinda tight space inside so underneath might be better.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Either would be fine...kinda tight space inside so underneath might be better.

Yeah, she's a bantam and it's a small coop so small crate.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Diamond did indeed think the ice was too cold. In fact she pulled out some feathers and lined the bottom of the crate and sat on her little nest keeping her nonexistent eggs warm from all sides.

 

[aart]

A hard case, eh?
Might need a fan blowing under the crate.

 

[AmyJane725]

A hard case, eh?
Might need a fan blowing under the crate.

Yeah, that'll keep her from using feathers as a nest.