flock rejecting broody hen

[smallcitychick]

I only have 5 hens right now, they've been together since the beginning, they're all just over a year old. Fanny (a white cochin) went broody about a week ago. Saturday i got some fertile eggs to put under her and she's as happy as can be. I did try to move her to her own broody cage and she freaked out major, so after an hour I let her back in the coop. I've been watching her very closely since this is my first broody and I'm just intrigued with how it all works....I let the hens out in the morning to free range and Fanny usually comes out to eat and drink then, poops and gets back on the nest.

This morning I let them out and the other 4 hens started pecking Fanny on the head and chasing her away from them. She'd run a safe distance, her attackers would loose interest and then she'd try again to join them and be chased off again. I've watched them when they're in the coop and run and they don't attack her at all that I've seen there. They give her the stink eye plenty (she's broody in the flocks favorite nest box, so no one else gets to use it now), but they leave her alone. Is it normal for the flock to reject a broody?

 

[Judy]

I've only had a few broodies but have not seen this, only a little minor fussing. Maybe try moving her again, at night, and with the whole nest, nesting material and all.

 

[Kaitie09]

That happened to our broody too. She would not even go outside anymore because every time she did, the rooster and one of the other hens would chase her around the pen. They did this for probably a week until I got fed up with it. we had to break her so one day I just put all the chickens outside in the run, and shut the door. She was chased a little bit, and then hopped up on an outside roost. It was a windy day so I think that it what broke her. That night I put them all back in and the next morning everything was back to normal. Chickens can tell when one is broody, so I'm sure that is what their problem is.

 

[smallcitychick]

So will she be an outcast until after the chicks hatch (

hoping I'll get at least one chick)? Will she be able to protect the chick(s) from the rest of the flock? When I moved her before it was at night, with the same nesting material. It was before I got the fertile eggs, and she was broody over nothing in the nest. So I put a few eggs in her new broody box and put her in there and she would have nothing to do with the nest at all. She just pressed herself up against the door (it was an extra large dog kennel) and sqwaked and cackled for an hour. She KNEW it was not HER nest.

Another question about broodys too: do they get bigger/gain weight while they're broody? Fanny has a sister and they've always been identical (except now Fanny has a bald spot on her head from the picking) but I noticed on saturday that she's HUGE. I don't know if it's just feathers, or actual weight, but they look like 2 completely different birds now and Princess (my other white cochin) is more 'sleek' and smaller looking (crazy to think of a cochin as 'sleek')

 

[buffalobaroness]

I have a black star that I am having the same trouble with. She went broody about 2 weeks ago. We have no roo so I am not worried about any hatchlings but I feel so bad when we boot her out to eat and drink she is absolutely attacked by the other hens especially two of the other black stars. She comes out of the coop all puffed up and immediately goes to higher ground to get away in the run. As soon as she has the opportunity she jumps back on the nest. I feel so bad I have been putting some food in there with her. Am I only encouraging bad behavior? Should I stop and make her come out to eat? I would hate to think this is what her poor little chicken life is going to be like from now on. There are two black stars who are real be-oches. They are very aggressive and have recently become more and more mean to all the other hens.

 

[Fritatta]

Quote:
Broodies poof out their feathers, its so the babies can run inside for protection. That may be why she looks bigger. she most definitely will lose weight, She will barely eat for over 21 days. But she can fluff those feather up like a balloon while brooding.

 

[dmccann]

It has taken me 5 mo to get the girls to accept the x broody,they still chase her,but she can now go outside and not hide all day all nite in the nest boxs.They were so mean to her i would give her food and water seperate and stand gaurd.I had her in a seperate area next to them,but when ever i put her back with them same deal,they were hurting her to the point of bleeding.I now have peepers on the offenders ,not her and things are a lot better,they still chase her but at least she can now go outside.Good luck