My angry broody hen!!!

[JensChickies]

My hen went broody yesterday, so I'm trying the open wire cage method. I got her all set up and put her in there and she is M-A-D!! Is this normal?? She's normally very sweet, but right now she's angry. I am trying to break this broody streak because it's really hot here and I don't want her to get dehydrated.

PS...this is my first broody hen....

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes, she will get mad, and may fight it very hard depending upon how determined she is.

Make sure she stays hydrated. If she keeps fighting hard, it may be easier to simply set her up in a cool spot, like the basement, and let her brood. It is a great way to raise new chicks.

Lofmc

 

[JensChickies]

Yes, she will get mad, and may fight it very hard depending upon how determined she is.

Make sure she stays hydrated. If she keeps fighting hard, it may be easier to simply set her up in a cool spot, like the basement, and let her brood. It is a great way to raise new chicks.

Lofmc

I was hoping since I caught it early that it wouldn't take long to break. She seems to be calming down a bit. I moved her to where it is nice and cool so she can get that cooling breeze on her. She will stay in there until I know she is back to normal. Last year I almost lost her to heat stroke, and took months of rehabilitation for her to get back to her normal self.

 

[JensChickies]

Yes, she will get mad, and may fight it very hard depending upon how determined she is.

Make sure she stays hydrated. If she keeps fighting hard, it may be easier to simply set her up in a cool spot, like the basement, and let her brood. It is a great way to raise new chicks.

Lofmc

My sweet girl has been separated, but she seems depressed and angry! I feel so bad for her, is this normal broody behavior???

 

[donrae]

It's perfectly normal. In her tiny chicken brain, you're keeping her from her chicks. We all know how strong the maternal instinct is---you've just got to give it time for her hormones to settle down.

 

[aart]

Yeah, they don't like it much.

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

Nipple water bottle was added after pic was taken.

 

[JensChickies]

Thank you everyone.

 

[JensChickies]

I just want my sweet girl back. It's interesting to watch, I get near her and her hackles go up and she makes her cute little noise. So intimidating ::::::sarcastic tone:::::::: I need to break this broodiness cuz she's my husband's spokes chicken for his business! Her 15 minutes of fame made her go broody!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I just want my sweet girl back. It's interesting to watch, I get near her and her hackles go up and she makes her cute little noise. So intimidating ::::::sarcastic tone:::::::: I need to break this broodiness cuz she's my husband's spokes chicken for his business! Her 15 minutes of fame made her go broody!

Then, unless I miss my guess in that photo, you shouldn't have chosen a Cochin as your spokes chicken...they brood frequently...the breed is known for frequent brooding.

Be prepared to periodically have to convince her that motherhood is not her most important item on the agenda....or figure a way to work it into the campaign (knowing of course motherhood and chicks will be prime in her mind).

LofMc

 

[JensChickies]

Then, unless I miss my guess in that photo, you shouldn't have chosen a Cochin as your spokes chicken...they brood frequently...the breed is known for frequent brooding.

Be prepared to periodically have to convince her that motherhood is not her most important item on the agenda....or figure a way to work it into the campaign (knowing of course motherhood and chicks will be prime in her mind).

LofMc

Maybe we can just work it into the equation. She's a Langshan, but I do believe the Cochin either came from her or the Langshan came from the Cochin, not too sure which one. Normally she's pretty sweet.