After 5+ weeks she's finally stopped brooding. Strangest thing. In just one night. I did not bathe her in cold water, nor have to buy a wire cage to jail her in. Perhaps its still a bit early to celebrate, but the most she has spent out of the nest in the last many weeks is about 10 - 20 minutes and we are on hour 4 now.
I have a playhouse coop and enclosed run. My girls are not free-roaming. Their environment is very secure. I was so concerned about my brooding Buff Orphington after noticing her comb was shrinking and very pale, not to mention her loss of weight, I closed all 3 of the girls out of the hen house during the day yesterday. Previously, I had been taking her out of the nest several times during the day, feeding her treats and then watching her retreat to the nest.
Our coop has an additional roost outside the hen house. Our weather has been warm. So, I decided why not leave them all outside last night (afterall, they spent the nights outside the hen house for many consecutive nights when we moved the coop/run earlier this year). I've read many posters stating to move the broody hen after dark to the roost, so this didn't seem to be too big of a stretch...
This morning I went out and opened the hen house and waited. And waited, and waited. She was and is still currently content to stay in the run with her 'sisters'. I also went back out to check for eggs and found two. So, she may not be laying, but at least she is not brooding (right now anyway)!! Victory !!
I have a playhouse coop and enclosed run. My girls are not free-roaming. Their environment is very secure. I was so concerned about my brooding Buff Orphington after noticing her comb was shrinking and very pale, not to mention her loss of weight, I closed all 3 of the girls out of the hen house during the day yesterday. Previously, I had been taking her out of the nest several times during the day, feeding her treats and then watching her retreat to the nest.
Our coop has an additional roost outside the hen house. Our weather has been warm. So, I decided why not leave them all outside last night (afterall, they spent the nights outside the hen house for many consecutive nights when we moved the coop/run earlier this year). I've read many posters stating to move the broody hen after dark to the roost, so this didn't seem to be too big of a stretch...
This morning I went out and opened the hen house and waited. And waited, and waited. She was and is still currently content to stay in the run with her 'sisters'. I also went back out to check for eggs and found two. So, she may not be laying, but at least she is not brooding (right now anyway)!! Victory !!
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