Sick AND Broody Hen???

[veery67eggy]

I have a 17-month-old light Brahma who I think has been broody for about ten days. She has been in an elevated wire cage for all of them, occasionally being let out to see what she would do. When I let her out she will either run out and start dust bathing, then go back to a nesting box or she won't get out and will just sit there. I'm very worried about the sitting because right now she has been sitting there for hours. I'm also worried because she's still broody. Please ask any more questions that might help you tell me what's going on!

 

[Amc29]

If she is broody, this sounds like normal behavior to me. Broodies do sit on their nests for hours, and some are more dedicated sitters than others. They do get up to eat, drink, and have a dust bath, but in my experience they spend most of their time on the nest.

 

[Kathy Golla]

What are you doing with her at night?
Can you show us a pic of your broody breaker?

 

[Kathy Golla]

Girl where are you?
Here are a few more questions for when you are online.
How do you know she is broody and not sick? Some hens when they don’t feel good will go sit in a nest box away from the others.
Is she doing the telltale broody signs...when she is in the nest box, does she flatten herself out like a pancake and scream at anyone who comes near?
When she is out with the other hens, is she puffing herself up and clucking (a lot)?
When she is in the broody breaker is she doing the same (squawking, clucking)?
Is she eating?
Is she laying eggs?
How you answer these questions and what you are doing with her at night and a pic of your set up will determine how we can help.

 

[veery67eggy]

If she is broody, this sounds like normal behavior to me. Broodies do sit on their nests for hours, and some are more dedicated sitters than others. They do get up to eat, drink, and have a dust bath, but in my experience they spend most of their time on the nest.

Sorry, I think I misstated. She hasn't been sitting in a nesting box, but in her broody breaker, even with the door open and she is free to leave it. Does this make a huge difference?

 

[Kathy Golla]

So question...based on my description of how a true broody acts, do you think she’s broody?
Is she sitting in the crate or in a nest box?
Do you have nest boxes?

 

[veery67eggy]

Girl where are you?
Here are a few more questions for when you are online.
How do you know she is broody and not sick? Some hens when they don’t feel good will go sit in a nest box away from the others.
Is she doing the telltale broody signs...when she is in the nest box, does she flatten herself out like a pancake and scream at anyone who comes near?
When she is out with the other hens, is she puffing herself up and clucking (a lot)?
When she is in the broody breaker is she doing the same (squawking, clucking)?
Is she eating?
Is she laying eggs?
How you answer these questions and what you are doing with her at night and a pic of your set up will determine how we can help.

I'm not sure that she is broody, that's why I initially asked this question. (I'm in upstate New York) She does flatten herself in the nesting box and squawks and clucks when I go to take her out. When she is out she mostly digs but doesn't make a huge racket. When she is in the broody breaker she will sometimes sit very still and be very quiet and other times she will be very cluckety and anxious to get out. She has been eating greens offered to her but I don't know if she has been eating her chicken feed. It is often spilt everywhere when I come out to check on her in the breaker but she might just have been walking around, stepped on the food dish and knocked it all over. She has not been laying eggs. At night (every night) she is in the broody breaker. I think she is broody but may also be sick (???). I close the crate when I put her in it so she can't get out but when she is let out she will go back to the nesting boxes (that we do have) shortly after. I hope that answered your questions, and here is a picture of the broody breaker (with the Brahma in it)(I took the food out for tonight because it was empty and I'm not sure she's been eating it)(also the floor of the cage is elevated and the measurements are 18” wide by 24” deep by about 18” high):

 

[Kathy Golla]

OK thanks for writing this all out and the pic. I assume you don’t have a rooster and don’t want her to sit on fertilized eggs? If you have a broody breaker?

 

[veery67eggy]

Yes, tha

OK thanks for writing this all out and the pic. I assume you don’t have a rooster and don’t want her to sit on fertilized eggs? If you have a broody breaker?

Yes, that's correct.

 

[Kathy Golla]

All right.
I can see two things that could be improved here.
1) you have to leave her in the broody breaker with the door closed. She cannot come out except in the case of only a short time if your hens free range outside of the pen.
2) your positioning of the breaker, it’s too comfy, it’s mimicking a nest box for her right now.
Where are your other hens during the day?
Put the crate outside wherever the other hens are during the day. If they free range, she can go out with them for a small time to stretch her legs but cannot have access to the coop and nest boxes.
At night she shouldn’t be inside the coop. It’s too close to nest boxes. I move mine into the garage at night.
Do you have something a little larger to put her in? It’s pretty small for a big hen like that. You can put a 2x4 flat to help her feet get off the wire. Check her over and make sure after 10 days she hasn’t cut her feet on the wire or that her feet aren’t irritated. If you don’t have something bigger I would recommend she gets out a couple of times a day at least, to stretch her legs. If you let her out it is supervised and she cannot have access to the pen or nest boxes.
Make sure she has food and water and is eating. Broody hens don’t take care of themselves. Because of this they can get sick from other things if they (you) don’t keep their health up.
You’ll know she’s not broody when she quits carrying on with all the clucking.