picking on broody hen...

[numamahen]

Why is it that when on of my girls ( I have 14 golden laced wyandotte hens/no rooster - virtually not agressive & tolerate handling well) go broody - it seems to be picked on by the more dominent hens? I have one right now who sits in the corner in a nest, the others lay eggs & she sits on them. When I dump her out of the coop to go eat - there are two who right away go to her & seem to pick on her and chase her back to the coop. My SO said they are chasing her back to make certain the eggs stay warm. Maybe so - thought I would ask!

 

[chicmom]

I've seen that behavior with my chickens too, and I think it's because the broody has isolated herself from the flock, and so she's kinda like an outsider when she comes out to eat and whatever. Don't worry, she'll blend in again.

If you don't need her to hatch anything, you can break her broodiness by putting her into a cage without bedding--just water and food only, for about 3-5 days. That should do the trick. It's good too if you can suspend the cage up a bit...like put it on top of another empty cage.

Good luck!

 

[numamahen]

txs chicmom - I have had other broodies before, just didn't seem to have the picking on like this before. I suppose I am seeing it more since it's nice & I put her out. Before it was winter & I left the broodies alone. Just made certain to get them some feed. My SO is amazingly good to the hens. He makes certain he fed them (broodies or the molting ones) if the others were getting to the food first. I am glad it's spring and we made it through the Minnesota winter!