Is my bantam cochin broody or sick? Please help!

[hawtchick]

I have a bantam cochin who is only 7-71/2 months old and she has been in her nest box all day.
I have no idea if bantys go broody...but this seems to young to me anyhow.
We have had very cold temps, and she has seem ok so far, but I guess I noticed today her comb seem to flop a teenie bit, but I think it always had.
Everyone else is healthy.....
She gets scratch/cracked corn daily, and is on layer pelllets. fresh water and shavings....and she has been laying regularly.
She did have a poopy, but not pastey butt a few weeks ago, but always ate and drank and mingled, so I didn't worry.
Now since she has been in her box all day, fluffed up, I think I should bring her in, but want to make sure she couldn't be broody.
Thanks for any advice.

Jess

 

[nzpouter]

is she complaining when you put your hand in the nest box? Is she pulling eggs that's put in front of her?

 

[Imp]

If there is no other symptoms than sitting in the nest box. I would say broody. But watch closely for other symptoms if you are concerned.

A dirty butt is common in some hens. My GLW had a dirty but for 3 years-just recently stopped.

Good luck,
Imp- Any hen can go broody.

 

[hawtchick]

I just went out and she was sitting on eggs, and I took them from her to see if she would get upset. No real complaints....
Funny thing was is that I had a silver laced wyandotte in the box near her and she was ugly at me for gathering from under her...and I KNOW she isn't broody. I put a bit of food in her nest with her and she was eating..... comb did look floppy still, but like I said, it was always a bit floppy. hmmmm.

 

[hawtchick]

she felt nice and warm too, so I decided to leave her be for the night and check on her in the morning...or later at lockdown.

 

[Imp]

A month or so ago my rock cross went broody. Was not grumpy at all.
Just as I broke her the RIR decided to roost in the nest box, she is nasty to this day if I go near her in the coop.

Guess it goes to show that chickens are weird.

Imp

 

[hawtchick]

so she may not be too young??? I guess her age is what was worrying me....

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Bantam Cochins can absolutely go broody at that age. Especially since she's already laying. If the eggs are fertile, and you want them to hatch, then you can let her set them. In that case, she should only get off the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink and poop. And when they poop only once or twice a day, it can be almost the size of an egg, and will REALLY stink!!!

 

[strawberryfields]

Bantams are normally quite broody, though not all of them. Cochins are also known to be broody. I have some 4 month old silkies are already very broody.

So, yes, she could just be broody.

However, I also lost a hen just last night because I made the mistake of assuming she was just that... broody. I did not notice anything unusual about her behavior except that she didn't want to get out of the nest box at all but made no fuss when I removed her from the box. We went through about two days of this before last night, when I physically picked her up and she seemed very week and listless. Her personality was like that anyway. Very quiet bird. Very quiet.

I would suggest just keeping a close eye on her. Maybe move her out of the nest she is in and see what she does. If you are watchful you should be able to tell if something isn't right with her. Try to see if she is eating and, especially, drinking normally.

Hope that helps .

 

[strawberryfields]

[Sorry]

One more thing... Coopa Cabana is correct, when broody they will not go to the water or feeder as much as when not broody, so you just have to keep an eye on her... if you can catch her drinking...

Good luck