My Chicken Has Lost Her Mind.....

[Stryker8gunner]

And I'm not far behind her! LOL

About 4 days ago, I noticed my hen (I believe she is an Easter egger) Daisy acting very strange. She normally free ranges all over my yard and is out and about during the day. This particular day I couldn't find her. Well, Daisy has never been what I would think a "normal chicken" to be. When she decided to start laying, she picked the spot - in my utility room next to my freezer. So I checked in there and sure enough there she was. Anytime you get near her she would puff up and growl. Well, we took her egg and thought that might solve the problem. It didn't. So I found BYC, and read about broody hens. She fits the bill. Would not come off of that nest for anything - even though there is nothing in there!

I have no roo's, so no baby chicks for us. And I don't want baby chicks right now as I purchased 26 a few weeks ago and I just don't need any more chickens.

Reading about the "broody buster", today I grabbed my metal dog kennel (large enough for my Rottie) and put her in it. I have it up off the ground about 3 feet. There is chicken wire in the bottom to keep her feet from falling through. I put some water and food out there, NO BEDDING, and a bar up halfway in the kennel just praying she would roost. She paced the kennel puffed up clucking her head off. Then she tried to "sit" on her food bowl so I took that out deciding to go out there several times a day to feed her. Is that normal? She is just sitting.....and sitting....even in that buster!

I feel like we are both going mad. She's already "off", in the fact that she thinks we are her flock (she refuses to hang out with the other laying hens I have).

Sigh

Please help!

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi &

, I don't have advice to stop your hen from acting broody. I just take the eggs everyday and they finally give up. I have had a few get pretty mean which required warring winter gloves to protect my hand from the hens attack. Good Luck!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Ya, that sounds like a determined broody. Most only take a couple of days but some can take a week or two to get the message even in a broody breaker cage. I use really small food/water bowls I hang on the side of the wire crates, it is amazing how small a bowl some hens can squash themselves into. Try to disturb her as much as possible, if you can put her somewhere in a high traffic area where there is a lot going on and there is a lot of light. If you have the time, take her out of the cage and shoo her around the yard occasionally. I've never tried it, but some people actually have put a fan underneath the cage to cool the hen off more. You might put more than one roost in there, a lower one in case the high one is too hard for her to get onto.

 

[Stryker8gunner]

Thank you both!

I will try the fan thing. I'm a little worried because tomorrow we are supposed to have thunderstorms here, but she has a roof of sorts on the cage right now in anticipation of the weather. I put her in one of her least favorite places - right next to the other hen house and where my other girls are usually out most of the day. They all free range, it's just for whatever reason, Daisy has never wanted to be a part of their flock.

My boys (they are 5, 10, and 11 with my 11 year old being the "chicken whisperer" of the family) are constantly out there talking to her and I will take her out frequently and put her back in. She just went in it today but she was acting so crazy and I didn't know if that was normal. Pacing and clucking, clucking and pacing.....LOL

And you are right, she squeezed and contorted right on top of this itty bowl, but I didn't think about the bowls on the side of the cage. Might have to make a run to the pet store tomorrow and grab a bunny bowl for that one!

 

[donrae]

It just takes time and persistence to break a broody. 3-5 days is average but it can take up to a week. Just keep at it and be more stubborn than her hormones!