Please Help!

[Christine S]

Hi

I have posted RE this topic before, but I think I am asking the wrong questions, as I'm not really getting any help. I have a hen who was broody...or so I thought, as she exhibited all indications of being broody

She is now ill. afew days ago I went to remove her from the nesting box so she'd eat and drink, and she wouldn't stand up. She also wouldn't eat or drink. When I put her on the ground she'd just sink back into a laying position. I took her into the house and gave her some water via a medicine doser. I kept her in a crate by herself all day yesterday. She did not eat or drink to my knowledge. I gave her more water.

This morning she seemed a bit better, so I let her in with the other girls. She stood by the waterer and drank ALOT, but that's it. Still wouldn't eat or move much (although slightly more lively than yesterday).

I feel so awful...I want to help her..it's just killing me sitting back and doing nothing. We don't have a vet who see's chickens and regardless, I'm not sure I could really justify to my DH the expense of taking a hen to the vet...

Does anyone out there have ANY advice that might help Jenna? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[elmo]

It's common for a broody to just sit there fluffed up when you take her off the nest. Mine would all do that, too. After a little while, I could usually get them to move around to eat, drink and poop, but not always, especially as they got closer to hatching time. Is there anything else that makes you think she's sick? Just what you describe doesn't make me conclude that she's sick.

Is she incubating eggs? How many days into setting is she?

 

[Christine S]

I meant for this to be in the illness category...if anyone knows how to move it...please feel free. Thanks

 

[newchicksnducks]

I have a GLW that is my first broody too. When I lift her from the nest boxes in a (vain) attempt to halt the broodiness, she'll just stay where she is placed on the ground. She'll be puffed up w/fluffy feathers. I still do this to her at least once or twice a day. When I let them out to free range in the evening, I'll set her down outside. After staying in place for a while, she'll usually start after the other girls to enjoy a bit of fresh grass. Of course, she is usually the first one back in the coop at night though, taking up her spot in the nest box. I'll remove her and place her on the roost. I'll have to go out late at night one time to see if she actually stays on the roost where I put her! She does come out to the run in the morning when I open up and scatter scratch and BOSS for the girls, but spends the majority of her day in the nest box. (And she isn't quite a year old yet...and already broody

)

I think your girl's behaviour is just typical broodiness.

 

[Christine S]

She is thin and pale and seems week...she no longer runs back to the nest when I take her off, but just sits where she is...She doesn't have eggs to hatch. I take them everyday.

 

[Christine S]

Also, she did act normal for a couple of days before this stuff started up...

 

[elmo]

Broodiness (even when a hen isn't actually sitting on eggs) is stressful and depleting. My hens lost about 20 percent of their body weights. So I think what you want to do is "break" this hen of her broodiness.

You can search here for threads on that subject, but what I recall is that you take the hen and put her in a wire bottom cage so that cool air can circulate under her tummy. Put food and water in there with her, of course. See if you can tempt her to eat by offering her scrambled or hard boiled egg, or mealworms, or scratch/birdseed. Keep taking her out and giving her the opportunity to move around and poop, too.

 

[Christine S]

I hope you are right. She is definitely better this morning.

Thanks!