Help! Need to get some weight back on hen thats been broody and sittin

[GotGame]

I have a hen that went broody and I couldnt break her up. She was broody 2 weeks before I finally gave her eggs. She is VERY skinny (I feel awful) and want to get some weight back on her. The problem is she is a crossbeak. I see now it was a mistake to let her set, but I didnt know that they just dont eat while they are setting. I had food and water in with her all the time, but she rarely touched it. Any advice?

 

[chicmom]

Well, hens usually do get up to eat and relieve themselves at least once a day. You really shouldn't feel bad. You didn't do anything wrong that I can tell. With the cross beak, they just need a really deep food dish so they can "scoop" the food into their beaks. If her cross beak is really extreme, then that might be why she's so skinny (I'm betting you already know that.) If her beak is really really crossed, she might be starving......I hate to use the "c" word, but you may have to eventually cull. So sorry to hear that.

 

[GotGame]

her beak isnt extreme and she did keep weight on fine, she is 8 months old and we keep her beak trimmed every other week. Just didnt trim it while she was setting, she is really skinny...I keep a deep dish out, I was wondering if there is anything you can put on the feed to help her get weight back on? With dogs, I put a little canola oil on their food, works like a charm...but dont know whether that would work with chickens or not...

 

[BrownEggFan]

I have a broody right now that isn't touching her food either. I check it every day and the level hasn't moved, nor are there any "beak marks" indicating she has been pecking at it. In order to provide some nourishment, I started putting a small dish of yogurt mixed with scratch directly next to her so she could reach it from the nest. She has been eating this, so I know she is getting something and I hope that helps to keep her from losing too much weight. Also, she does get up periodically to relieve herself, evident from the piles I've found in the bedding. Good luck!!

 

[Chickenmaven]

If she were mine, I would feed her some boiled egg.

 

[Warfrost]

Try offering her a some scrambled egg for awhile...and throw a little olive oil in it. It will help her gain some weight back, and it's very healthy.

 

[GotGame]

thanks for the tips, will do

....

 

[kathyinmo]

That is exactly what my present broody is doing .... not eating at all. She should hatch out in a couple days. Finally I started feeding her scrambled eggs with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Blueberries. At least she will eat that when I put it directly under her nose (errr beak). She is very very skinny. Lost lots of weight sitting.

 

[Mrs. K]

ok, I may take some scrambled eggs down to my two, they are two days from hatching, and tonight, they were panting, and one's comb was pretty limp, I held water up to them, but they did not drink much.

But what I want to know about is the canola oil for the dog. We have a wonderful cowdog, that lives to work cattle with the cowboys. She is a goer, and she can and will cover the miles. And is as thin as a rail and we have her on the most expensive high energy dog food we can buy. Plus she gets quite a few eggs.

Her coat is dull, and she is thin. How much canola oil, and how often. Thanks Mrs.K

 

[StormyMoon]

I gave my broody hen strawberries, boiled eggs, watermelon , a tiny amount of crushed peanuts she loves getting treats and after that between treats she eats the chick starter crumbles. We have to pick her up and carry her out side so she can potty 1 time a day instead of in the nest. In the beginning she was going in the nest.