Hen won't open eyes or go eat or drink after EIGHT WEEKS broody.

ZebraBus

In the Brooder
Jun 2, 2020
8
7
11
Olivia goes broody EIGHT WEEKS each year and comes out of it just fine. This year after she broke broody, she won't open her eyes, eat or drink. Will drink water and / or pedialyte when offered but won't go get it herself. Keeps her eyes closed constantly. Her comb is very pale and her wattles are now off-white. I am amazed each morning when we find her still alive. We have had about 12 hens over the past 5 years and this is the first time this has happened. We have lost hens over time, but not due to over-broodiness. My wonderful husband sits with her and offers her (and she drinks it) home-made pedialyte every 4 hours. She is not getting better or worse, and it's been about 10 days since she broke broody. Any ideas?
P.S. Eight weeks is WAY too long to be broody, but that seems to be her style and she comes out fine each year. Until now : (
 
Can you bring her into your house and make sure she stays comfortable and is rested? Maybe offer her some sugary fruit to eat, and make sure her normal food is offered free choice for now. How is her body condition? There’s not much you can do except make sure she is getting food, water, rest and warmth. Kudos to you for being so faithful with her water :highfive:
 
Olivia goes broody EIGHT WEEKS each year and comes out of it just fine. This year after she broke broody, she won't open her eyes, eat or drink. Will drink water and / or pedialyte when offered but won't go get it herself. Keeps her eyes closed constantly. Her comb is very pale and her wattles are now off-white. I am amazed each morning when we find her still alive. We have had about 12 hens over the past 5 years and this is the first time this has happened. We have lost hens over time, but not due to over-broodiness. My wonderful husband sits with her and offers her (and she drinks it) home-made pedialyte every 4 hours. She is not getting better or worse, and it's been about 10 days since she broke broody. Any ideas?
P.S. Eight weeks is WAY too long to be broody, but that seems to be her style and she comes out fine each year. Until now : (
Can you post some photos of her?

She broke broody, but is still sitting around - how can you tell she's broken broody?

I would look her over for lice/mites, check her crop-is it empty in the morning(?), what does her poop look like, any swelling of the abdomen?
 
It is always good to break a broody if she is not going to hatch eggs, but also not to let them sit for more than 3 weeks if they are hatching. Make sure that she is broken as well. Some birds will get sick and take to a nest box. I would consider tube feeding her KayTee baby bird feed, or pulverized chicken feed mixed with a lit of water. Here is some read ing and videos on tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/go-team-tube-feeding-updated-12-29-2019.805728/

 

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