First experience of broodiness? or is it not?

[eeiko321]

Hi guys
the run down...
my Older hen hasnt laid an egg for over 3 - 4 days now. she seems healthy though.


today, she has sat in the coop all day from Morning till night..she didnt eat or drink. this was for the first time.... did not come out at all...i opened the door and looked at her face to face...she seemed like shes on drugs!...in a trance....i thought she was dead untill she blinked.
is this broodiness or something elsE?

she has been acting very strangely recently though... when im around shes always clucking or gawking...loudly...with neck feathers puffed out. she does not seem scared or threatened.

the only things that i can suggest that happend are:
*its been very hot for past 3 days
*her companion hen died ocer a week ago, she was acting weird but only had to put up with lonliness for 1 day till we got a new hen replacement. the young one is settling in just fine.

i havent tried carying her out of the nexting/roost...in fear of traumatising her...
i tried enticing her luring her out with her 2 favourite foods ...live worms & corn!!!........she goes nuts with those 2 foods but this time she blankly stared at them...

any suggestings or advice on what to do?
OH and the breed of Hen is New Hampshire Red,

 

[Kingpen]

Someone post a reply I hope she isn't sick. Why did the other hen die?

 

[eeiko321]

Quote:
hi
i think shes gone broody...i need to knwo how to UNbroody a hen?

the younger hen died...unfortunately from internal damage...

this pic shows the run area...the tarp flaps with the wind uncontrollably, having it temporarily on the coop like this is held down by some bricks. this way, it wont flap and also acts like a roof sheet for the rain water.

one of the bricks fell near the chair...and poor hen was having a dust bath at that moment

she stayed alive for 1.5 hours with internal bleeding.

well this new hen is doing very well, she sleeps exaclty in the alocated spot...isnt greedy & doesnt escape like theprevious & most of all...does not try to peck my lip.

 

[Southernbelle]

Sounds like a broody - NHRs rarely go broody, so she's a special girl. Broodiness is hormonal, but most people have sucess with breaking standard sized girls.

1. Wait her out - not really your best option because some can be very determined and brooding can be hard on their bodies.
2. Put ice cubes under her instead of eggs - coldness on their bums is deterring
3. Chicken jail - cool air on their bum is supposed to be very effective, so a lot of people have success with a raised wire-bottom cage, like a rabbit hutch. Lock them in for a few days and they should get over thier broodiness.
4. Give in and give her fertile eggs - this is what I usually do because my Silkies are hard to break and it's fun to hatch chicks - even if it is freezing here!

Good luck with your girl!

 

[eeiko321]

Quote:
hi there
ok i saw her inside when i got home from work...so i iopened the coop door and this is what she looked like...all PUFFED UP with feathers sticking up.

ok when i lifted her...she gave a LOUD...."WOOOOWRRR" squeel..... it was amazing how the feathers on its belly just shifted to another part of the body leaving the belly bare naked!!! it was so warm.....and YUK.....felt like a dogs warm soft stomach with goodebumps and veins....YUKKYYY!!!
this is what happend when i got her out........a total STUNNED MULLET!....she eats a bit....drank heaps though...

after drinking and eating......here she is trying to get back in from outside, runs around the run area like a headless chook trying to get through the chicken wire...

so if i get a cage to stop broodiness...which i heard is probably the best option..... because its summer here...ice cubes in australia wont last long and will just go wet.
anyhow, if i put her in a cage......where do i keep the cage? far from the coop? because i was thinking of putting it in the run area (you can refer to my previous picture near the white seat) but i figured if she gets to see the coop ...she might go nuts trying to get out of the cage????

when will i know when to take her out?
no wonder shes been acting weird......8/10 times her neck feathers stick up......making *Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....Oooohh....* sounds.........

i thougfht she was sick...

also lastly, i heard a caged bottom area is important..raise it on bricks so the under part is flowing with air to drop her temp... but i also heard caged metal is bad for thier feet for long periods of time? if i put news paper it may not let much air under her belly??????????????????


thanks heaps
hope to hear from you soon

 

[jossanne]

It won't hurt her if she's in there just long enough to break her broody spell. You don't want her in a wire cage long-term, but it really is the best way to break a broody. She definitely needs the cool air underneath, and I'd leave it inside the coop so she's at least "home."

 

[corydonald]

give fertile eggs.
use roo sperm from shop if u dont have a roo