OOh Gritty.... Broody question for ya!

[redhen]

I have 2 broodies right now.. Thanks to Sourland!!

Anyways, my one girl has been broody for a looong time. (i keep taking her eggs away, every day... she HATES me with a passion..)
My concern is that she just doesnt seem "right".... shes getting thinner... i can feel her keel bone pretty sharply.
I have taken her off the nest... she just screams and fights me to get back on her nest...
What else can i do?? I dont want her to die on me...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Red, you'll have to break her by more than just taking her off the nest. A determined broody can starve herself to death.

Two choices. One, put her in a wire crate with absolutely no bedding material; nothing she can make a nest out of. Feed her rich treats to help her gain her weight back.

Or, let her hatch. Even two chicks would make her happy.

 

[sheaviance1]

I'm having the same problem with one of mine, so i put eggs under her. I even tried giving her a bath in cool water, and locking her out of the nest for several days, she just brooded in the cage....with nothing but air under her. I feel your pain.

 

[redhen]

Okay thanks!! I'll have to put her in a cage with no bedding...
but i worry about when she goes back with the flock, will they attack her?
Maybe i could put her outside the coop and shut the door so she cant get back inside during the day??
Butthem shed just go broody somewhere outside and i'd have to search for her all night long...

I'll git you Sourland!!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I thought about letting her have a few eggs,....just dont really want any babies now though.... because i worry about my big chickens getting and hurting the babies..
Maybe i can make her a little house outside the coop fence, so they cant get the babies.. but then i'd have to worry about my geese and pigs hurting the babies...

But HOW do i get her to eat?? Bring her food to her nest??

 

[sheaviance1]

I am converting a doghouse (new one) to use as a brooder/chick raiser inside their run. I am adding ventilation at the peak of the roof. I plan to fence them a section of the run so they will be protected while Momma raises them. I'm sure we will have reintegration issues because she is already getting picked on when she gets down to eat and drink. I have two coops. If I need to, I can fence between them until the little ones are grown. I have never seen such a persistent broody, and I don't want her to die.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I thought about letting her have a few eggs,....just dont really want any babies now though.... because i worry about my big chickens getting and hurting the babies..
Maybe i can make her a little house outside the coop fence, so they cant get the babies.. but then i'd have to worry about my geese and pigs hurting the babies...

But HOW do i get her to eat?? Bring her food to her nest??

Got room in the coop for a crate? That way the others chickens won't forget her. Red, you know I've had 5 sets of chicks in the coop thus far and Rowdy was the only one injured (that was by a meat bird that shouldn't have been in that coop anyhow). Let her raise a few, you need to experience a broody with chicks. It's awesome and no, I'm not an enabler.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Thats how my girl is too! I have a small coop type house that i can put her in... but its in my yard... and my pigs and geese can get to it... but the other chickens cant....
Maybe bryan can make some sort of fencing around it...
I could just keep the doors shut on it... (which i would at night anyways)..... but i worry about her getting too hot in there... it does have vent windows i can open up though.. but still its like 90 here today...
And should i put BOTH broodies in there?? (its plenty big enogh) or try to break my newer one somehow?
So many questions...

I've never done this broody thing before...

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I thought about letting her have a few eggs,....just dont really want any babies now though.... because i worry about my big chickens getting and hurting the babies..
Maybe i can make her a little house outside the coop fence, so they cant get the babies.. but then i'd have to worry about my geese and pigs hurting the babies...

But HOW do i get her to eat?? Bring her food to her nest??

Got room in the coop for a crate? That way the others chickens won't forget her. Red, you know I've had 5 sets of chicks in the coop thus far and Rowdy was the only one injured (that was by a meat bird that shouldn't have been in that coop anyhow). Let her raise a few, you need to experience a broody with chicks. It's awesome and no, I'm not an enabler.

Yeah.. i could also put a dog crate in their coop too... but i could only fit the one broody in it... not the two.
Gah! This broody stuff is a PIA!

WHich would be better.. both of them in the bigger house/coop in my yard?? or keep them in the coop with the other chickens??

 

[gritsar]

Can they be completely safe in the yard? No dogs or other predators can get to them?

For my broodies, I just used Jax and Kane's traveling crates, so very large but it's a big coop so there is plenty of room. The crates hold the broody, the chicks and chick-sized feeders and waterers up to the point that mama feels like bringing them out with the flock (about 3 days). Then they continue to take the babies back to the crates for about two weeks.