Psycotic Broody Hen!

[ihvpower]

Um, someone help me, please.. I have a one year old VERY broody hen. She is puffed up the size of a large Beach ball. I also have a rabbit cage with 2 week old Turkeys and roo chicks. I have no adult Roos. My Broody-girl is patrolling the new chicks as well as a cage of older pullets. If my usually much loved by the chickens Border Collie goes into the hen-house, the Broody hen goes ballistic and attacks her. When I open the cages to clean and give fresh food and water, she tries to get in the cages and has even succeeded. I take her out and she gets right back in in less than a second! Is she trying to kill them or she trying to keep them as her own?! I'm thinking that I should put some chicken wire around the Rabiit cages to protect the babies in there from wayward beaks? There is an unusually high mortality rate this time around.

Any interpretations are most welcome!

Nancy

 

[suzettex5]

Well, if you could stand a potential loss, I would give her 1 chick, and see how she does. You never know, maybe she just really wants to be a mama. Or you could pick up a day old chick somewhere that you would like to have, and slip it under her. Let us know what you end up doing!

 

[ihvpower]

I di try and slip a chick under her about a week ago and I also put some food for her in the nest box. The chick completely disappeared. No blood, nothing. Do you think the other hens or even the Broody one ate her??

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Ehhh, I'd be careful, is she a dedicated nest sitter or just showing the growling/puffing bit? My older girls often patrol the runs when the little girls are out and they puff up and try to get in there too, but they absolutely just want to hurt them not nurture them.

 

[ihvpower]

Well, she had gone broody a week or two before the babies arrived. She was very aggressive, growly and puffed up. I think I'll just keep my remaining babies safe in their cage and add a little chicken wire around the cage too for extra protection. I felt bad at first, you know ahhhh she wants to be a mom! lol.

Thank you for the advice!

Nancy