Some More Advice on my Broody Hen

[Malpower]

Quote:
Funny you should mention that...

....the thought went through my mind about fifteen minutes ago and I was thinking maybe I should find out what I need to know and do and if there would be any interest at the feed store in chicks. I haven't a clue but think I'll see what it might entail. Don't know the first thing about having chicks tho and just this one small coop for the whole crew -- ruled over by the harridan hen Lucy-fer! Probably wouldn't work but worth checking out I agree.

 

[ebonykawai]

I've had 6 broodies this spring and summer, and they seem to be done now. I tried the two different ways: I didn't have a wire cage early on, so I kept removing my broodies from the nest. That did nothing. Then I built an outdoor chicken jail and kept them in there. That was OK, but they still could lay in the grass so it was better than just removing them from the nest, but still not all that great. With these methods, each broody took 3-4 weeks to finally give up. Then I got a wire cage really cheap on Craigslist, FINALLY.

WORKED LIKE A CHARM. 3 days and they were done, I kid you not. That is totally the way to go to break a broody. My cage is for huge dogs, about 4 feet long by 2 1/2 feet wide, and I put a nice roost in it, and had it up on bricks. I never thought I could cage my hens either, but it was easy and they didn't complain. I had them outside during the day so they could have fresh air, and moved them into the coop at night, always just moving the cage and keeping them in there.

Seriously, look for a wire dog cage on Craigslist if you want to break your broody. It is SO EASY. I wish I'd done that from the start!

 

[Malpower]

Quote:
Hey, thanks, you give me some hope!

I'm hoping after finding no wooden eggs and being moved to the roost for a few nights maybe she'll give it up -- we'll see. As it is, I've been bringing her out mid-day till bedtime every day but that alone hasn't helped much -- except perhaps broke her total dedication to the nest box for 5 to 7 hours. I was just thinking that maybe after putting her on roost tonight I could put a barrier over the 3 nesting boxes for the night (they're on floor of small coop right under the roost) -- let them all out in morning, remove barriers (probably she'll go back in) and then once the other girls have laid, do like I usually do and remove her and shut the coop off till bedtime. I'm also glad to hear that she's not one of the persistently broody breeds. What seemed to make the hormones kick in was that big stack of wooden eggs in the nesting boxes when I was trying to foil who or whatever was pecking holes in newly laid eggs. I'm hoping that all the girls will get used to laying without any fake eggs in the nests, but it didn't go well when I tried before. Thanks! Fingers cross!

 

[Malpower]

Quote:
OK -- I think you've convinced me!!

I'm going to give it a whirl with eggs removed and putting her on roost at night, then continue removing her during the day -- give it a few more days and if it doesn't finally do the trick, I'm going to go get that big dog cage you describe, something movable like that and if it's not too big I can put it inside the outer caged section of the coop for safety at night and stick under the redwoods on the ground where they hang out during the day -- I do have a bunch of bricks too which I use for placing feeders and water outside the coop.

Where or how did you put the roost into the cage -- perhaps along the floor somehow so she could perch on it but rest of floor wouldn't be too comfortable to sit on? What about poop? What about food and water? And how did you know she wasn't broody anymore?

Even if she comes out of it in next few days, I'm assuming there will be a next time or maybe one of the other girls will go broody, so this sounds like a good thing to have on hand and just nip it in the bud from the start. I'll look for a cage tomorrow! Thanks!

 

[Judy]

Roost is optional. I haven't done this, but I have a big wire dog cage I could do it in. I would not put a roost in it, myself, but don't see any harm in it, either.

Yes, please provide food and water in the cage. No reason to deprive her of these. The point is to put her where there is air flow to her bottom side, which does not feel like eggs and a nest, which is supposed to trigger a change in her hormones. Just do NOT put any straw or hay or anything else like nesting material in there.

You're on your own with the poop! Hopefully, the mesh will be big enough that most of it will fall through.

I gather from reading that the key to when it has worked is that she gets restless and acts like she wants out.

I did cage my broody part of the time she was setting, much as I dislike the idea of caging, not to cage her in, but to cage the other hens out. I firmly believe she was grateful. Broodies don't want to go anywhere, they want to be left alone, and not have other hens trying to lay where they are setting. I let her out every morning, because she would stand up when I opened the coop. I tried letting her out other times, but the best I could do was get her to eat a bit of fruit from my hand in the afternoon; she would not get off the nest to go out and eat and such again. (I had water and food in the cage, of course, but it never looked like she touched them.)

 

[Jena]

Just thought I would chip in and let you know that even over here in the UK Broodies are driving people nuts.

I have had one of my 4 girls driving me crazy for weeks and I finally gave in and got some fertile eggs.

I put them in yesterday and she has not moved from them other than to eat and drink which I have made easy for her. But she is suddenly a sweetie again instead of the grizzle she had become.

I was really afraid of doing this, we are not allowed to keep roosters here and I have a small set up. But I have built a broddy coup (small and portable) and if the hatch is successful I will move her and the chicks into that for a while, but as my son is looking to get some chickens, and I have others who would be interested in taking any extras I will just give it a try.

At least she is happier. I have tried all the other ways of breaking this but she keeps coming back to it.

I will let everyone know the results.

 

[Malpower]

Hi DDawn and Jena!

Thanks -- it's always nice to know others are suffering along with you!

I appreciate all the good advice too!

I'm off to buy a wire crate of some sort this morning having just had the roost removed from the outer cage leading into the coop to make room to put a crate in there at night if need be.

Last night I blocked the nest boxes off with boards and Baby tried her darndest to move them and get into the boxes but couldn't. Unfortunately, when the girls went to roost, Baby was nesting on the floor right under them and would have been pooped on all night. So I removed barrier to one box -- she immediately went into it. Then when it was dark I went back, hauled the box with her in it out of there and then placed her up on the roost. Went back to check a while later -- she was down on the floor again but in the corner where the box had been and at least safe from night poop! The good news is that this morning when I opened the coop, Baby came running out with the rest of them -- first time in 21 days! She's out free-ranging and loitering about with her "sisters" -- yahoo! Of course, I'm not "counting my chickens......." and am prepared for her to go back in at some point today and after the others lay will boot her out and put the barriers up over the nests -- so will continue this routine, and throw her back on the roost tonight and hope it works. But I'll be prepared with the cage and will use it if she hasn't really been "cured"! Just so great to see this change in behavior this morning!

I couldn't sleep last night -- trying to decide wire cage or a rabbit hutch? Where would I put it? Can I get all this done and then get back to urgent work I need to do for a client -- the hens come first so I've been putting everything else off.

Anyway, thanks, I so appreciate all the feedback and advice and "hand holding" from this forum! I think we're getting somewhere at last! Will let you all know what happens!

Kerry

 

[Malpower]

Well, the almost normal behavior lasted about 30 minutes and she was right back into the coop -- oddly, since there were no wooden eggs in the nesting boxes, she just lay out on the floor of the coop next to the boxes and another of the girls was in there with her and she laid her egg there, outside of the nesting box! The other two have been laying their eggs outside the coop in that nesting box to the right -- I can't complain since it could certainly be in some worse, unreachable spot!

So, I went to feed store and here is what I found -- a bird cage of all things! It's about 16" x 16" x 24"

She seems to just fit and I suppose she doesn't need much more room than this. She's not very happy and vocalizes non-stop, sort of sounds like she's blowing bubbles, weird little noises she makes, but she's not yelling like the NHR can do. Just disoriented! The cage should just fit into the outside cage entrance to the coop and I can lock her in the bird cage in safely for the night. I DO hope this works!! I wish I could explain to her why it's necessary! Just like I always wished I could tell my dogs, "it's for your own good"!

Does this cage look about right to those of you who have used cages?

 

[Judy]

The cage is fine. But the newspaper is not. She needs to be directly on the wire, with air to her bottom.

But -- you said she laid an egg????? And I see she is sitting on a perch, not snuggled down on the floor? Does not sound like a broody to me! Broodies sit, as on eggs, almost 24/7, they don't perch, and they don't lay! I don't think she would be complaining about the cage until the broodiness was broken, either.

BTW, I remarked she is not one of the broodiest breeds. I was looking at Henderson's chart for something today and here is what it says about Cochins:

excellent brooder (or exceedingly annoying as a too frequent brooder);
good mother;
often used as a foster mother

Another source I had says broodies are the exception rather than the rule for Cochins. Doesn't matter for you, she is or she isn't, of course. Just being fussy about accuracy.

Let us know how it all comes out.

 

[Malpower]

Glad to know the cage is fine. She's not on newspaper -- there's a slide out drawer below the cage for stuff that drops through the wire bottom and that's where the newspaper is. She doesn't like walking on the wire bottom at all but is up on the two thin perches which I put together to fit her big feet. She may sit on the floor later -- I haven't checked her out for a while. she was walking around on the food and water dishes and turning them over. True, she hasn't wanted to roost or do anything but snuggle into the nesting box or bedding on the coop floor or the outside nest for a month -- I shouldn't have been surprised that she made her way down from the roost after I put her on it after dark last night! I was just hoping she'd remember how nice the roost was!

Nah, she didn't lay an egg -- it was another hen that was in laying on the floor of the coop next to Baby who laid the egg, in fact it looks like a double yolker -- too big to fit in the egg carton in the refrig!

Let's see, Baby is a Buff Brahma, not a Cochin. I was pleased when you told me she wasn't a particularly persistent breeder but maybe you weren't thinking of her as a Brahma. I seem to remember someone else telling me Brahmas could be broody! But as you say, either she is or she isn't!

"Is" is the designation right now!!!

Thanks for checking on me -- I'll certainly let you all know what happens!