Nuerological or something else?

[Eggcessive]

The broody switch can be difficult to switch off. I have older hens between 6 and 8 years. Two of them are on their second or third episode of being broody this year, while an 8 year old bantam who hasn’t laid in years, is broody right now. I usually break mine in a 7x8 foot covered wire pen on the ground with a large roost. They have no bedding and are forced to cool their jets on the roost or pecking at seeds, as well as taking dust baths. I supply chicken feed and some cooked egg and seeds daily. Most break within 5 days, but the strongest ones have required a second 5 day session. They can drive you crazy sometimes. Luckily I have never had one with wry neck. So I would wonder if your hen might have been hurt temporarily. Who really knows? So much of chicken health can be a mystery.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I need to find some way to accelerate her switch off broody mode, particularly over night.

This will sound very odd, but maybe a fan blowing on her (backside/under wings). It would be better if she could roost, but since she's having trouble, that may not be possible.

Yes, I've used a fan on broodies during hot/humid weather (July/August). Seems to help with the cooling and speeds things up.

 

[Shadrach]

Are you already doing the normal broody breaking procedure? Minus the wire crate? What is she sleeping in in your room?
Sorry she's acting so weird. I hope the vitamins help.

Thanks. She's sleeping in the pet carrier shown in the picture in the OP.

 

[Shadrach]

The broody switch can be difficult to switch off. I have older hens between 6 and 8 years. Two of them are on their second or third episode of being broody this year, while an 8 year old bantam who hasn’t laid in years, is broody right now. I usually break mine in a 7x8 foot covered wire pen on the ground with a large roost. They have no bedding and are forced to cool their jets on the roost or pecking at seeds, as well as taking dust baths. I supply chicken feed and some cooked egg and seeds daily. Most break within 5 days, but the strongest ones have required a second 5 day session. They can drive you crazy sometimes. Luckily I have never had one with wry neck. So I would wonder if your hen might have been hurt temporarily. Who really knows? So much of chicken health can be a mystery.

Yup, I'm on my 22nd broody case this year. Mainly because I'm not reliant on their eggs and the free range keeping arrangements I have here, I haven't had to resort to the wire cage method for eight years. I just take their eggs away one evening and put them on a roost in their tribes coop. Sometimes they return to the nest and sit for a few hours the next day but usually because the nests are open they wander out clucking irritably at anyone close by and by evening they are wandering around with their tribe moaning about that horrid bucket boy who won't let them sit.
The more persistent get to come and stay with me for a couple of days. I've got cool concrete floors and a baby pen to keep them from under my feet. 3 days of that and of course my terrible taste in music usually does the trick. I think word got around about the music.
You may be right about a problem at the nest site when she was sitting. To be honest things were a bit hectic and I didn't have a good look at the site which was a bit silly. I normally do.
I've just checked on her and she's as right as rain rummaging through some straw in the donkey shed with her sister Hinge and Punch and Mag her men.

 

[Shadrach]

This will sound very odd, but maybe a fan blowing on her (backside/under wings). It would be better if she could roost, but since she's having trouble, that may not be possible.

Yes, I've used a fan on broodies during hot/humid weather (July/August). Seems to help with the cooling and speeds things up.

No, not odd at all and I have considered it. I've also considered putting the pet carrier in the fridge with the door open.
Getting her to roost would be ideal.
It's her long term health I'm concerned about. The position she sleeps in cannot be good for her neck and the fits while trying to get comfortable, or out of trance are not pleasant to watch and look like an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm going to write about this until it's resolved one way or another. It may just happen to someone else.
Some people are going to laugh at me. That's okay. I'm used to it.
Bracket knows she needs to perch.
First picture is her part roosting with the rest of her tribe up the usual tree. Not great pictures but she's behand the black hen.

A flash picture of the same from another angle. No doubt she can definitely balance while roosting at least when her eyes are open.

They all came down for supper when I called. Bracket didn't land very well and got momentarily stuck in the bush behind her in the picture. She's shaking herself into order here.

A few moments later she's off down the steps for dinner. No problem negotiating the steps.

She ate with the rest of her tribe. She didn't eat a lot but enough I would say.
The rest of her tribe went into their coop but Bracket hung around outside and then went back up the tree on her own. She did not want to go into the coop.
I took her out of the tree and put her in the coop where she immediately started the fit behavior but not as uncontrolled as the night before eventually settling in the same position you can see in the picture in the OP in a coop corner.
I picked her up and brought her into my house and put her in the pet carrier. This time there was no fit like behavior and she just got in the corner in that same position and closed her eyes.
If I didn't think she might fall out of the tree when she closed her eyes I would be tempted to leave her up the tree for a night.

 

[Shadrach]

Bracket had a much quieter night. No fit like behavior at all as far as I know. She did wake me up at around 4 am when she changed ends in the pet carrier.
When I checked on her at 6.30 am just before I opened up the rest, she was still in the corner but her head was not as far back and went to normal position when I looked in.
When I carried her out to join her tribe for breakfast this morning there was no fitting and her balance was much better than yesterday morning. She ate a bit and headed off to the compost heap with Punch, Mag and Hinge. I saw her crouch for Punch at the compost heap ramp and then they were lost in the undergrowth.
A few observations. Bracket is looking for particular vegetation when she's foraging. Her foraging behavior is different to the others. She'll find something which I know the chickens will normally eat, discard it and carry on looking. There is a particular small leaf she's favouring and when I look up what plant it is and what properties it's got I may know a bit more.
She also pooped in the pet carrier overnight which she hasn't done before.
When I've had sick, or injured hens in the house they all poop during the night.
Ime hens will not poop in the nest when broody if they can possibly help it. Normally they hold on until they leave the nest to drink, eat, bath and exercise. In order to do the above they need to come out of the sitting trance.
I'm going to assume Bracket is now un-broody enough to no longer believe she's sitting on eggs in a nest.
I've got one of those irritating assessment problems now. Is she improving because of the multi vitamins and vitamin E doses, or is she improving because she is becoming less broody.

 

[aart]

I've got one of those irritating assessment problems now. Is she improving because of the multi vitamins and vitamin E doses, or is she improving because she is becoming less broody.

Indeed!
...and here's another variable.... I was wondering if she's not having fits during the day or you just don't see it because they range out of sight most the day?
You may never know exactly what this birds problem is.

 

[Shadrach]

Indeed!
...and here's another variable.... I was wondering if she's not having fits during the day or you just don't see it because they range out of sight most the day?
You may never know exactly what this birds problem is.

It is possible she has fits I don't see. However, if she is able to roost normally then given she seems to be holding her rank in her tribe, eating and drinking then that's good enough. Some stuff you just can't fix.

 

[aart]

Some stuff you just can't fix.

Exactly!