Some More Advice on my Broody Hen

[Malpower]

Quote:
Since you reminded me about it, I just checked Henderson's and - sigh - it says about Brahmas:

Good or frequent brooder! Glad I got that cage, hope it works!

One of these days I just may get her a chick to take care of -- something suggested to me at the feed store -- but still not a good idea right now!

Also says: adaptable to confinement -- so I won't worry too much about her being confined in jail for a few days!

Kerry

 

[Judy]

The other source I was using does not mention Brahmas at all.

Well, seems I can't figure out what breed she is, whether she is on newspaper, or whether she laid an egg. It's a bit early to go to bed but evidently that is where I belong.... Gees. Sorry.

Here's the article about broodies I was looking at -- though you probably aren't interested unless it comes time to let her raise some:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[Malpower]

Hey listen, I just appreciate all the help you've been giving me and I don't care if you got her breed wrong or couldn't decipher that not very clear or well-detailed photo -- heck who could tell if the newspaper was over or under all that wire?! The lines make your eyes cross! No apologies necessary at all -- your advice has been splendid!

I just moved those tiny little perches down almost to bottom of cage so she's more or less on the floor now but they will help support her great big feet. She's just standing there -- eating a bit of feed and drinking her water. The other girls have gone off for a bit of free ranging around the garden and she doesn't seem to much care. We'll get thru this!!! Yes, we will!

I know how you feel about bed -- I'm a bit wrung out over all this and sure do look forward to conking out early tonight and starting fresh tomorrow -- we do know what Scarlett had to say about that!!

Thanks for the article -- of course I'm interested and I'll read it. I have the feeling that chicks may be in my future -- perhaps after I move in a year or so (a downsizing tho much against my will).

Kerry

 

[Judy]

You're more than welcome; I enjoy being able to help. And that was kind of you.

Actually I loved that photo. Such a lovely spot they have there, looks so cool and pleasant and lush! I'd hate to move away from that. And I envy you your gardening/landscaping skills very much, if you did all that.

Good luck with your girl, and get some rest.

 

[Malpower]

Quote:
Thanks -- wish I could say I was responsible but that's sort of a wild back area -- ivy, azaleas, rhodies, redwoods, maples and lots of big and small shrubby things -- yes, I had a lot of it planted over the years, but I let someone else deal with it most of the time. We hacked an area out of it earlier this year for the coop and then the enclosure for the girls, about 26' x 16' -- my wonderful handyman and maintenance garden guy worked on it with me -- they did a super job and it is a neat little chicken area with lots of shade and a bit of sun. Of course I let them out into rest of yard in early am and pm so even where I've planted flowers in garden areas and in pots, there's nothing much left but some greenery -- they loved having the flowers to nibble on and I'm sure are waiting for me to plant some more for them!

I DO love it all, whether demolished by the girls or not, and it will be the hardest thing to leave it and know someone else is living her -- I keep putting it off and think I've got another 2 years if I'm lucky!

As to Miss Baby -- I hesitate to say the broodiness is completely over -- don't want to tempt fate and say "yahoo" too soon -- but that bird cage really did make a big difference and wasn't all that difficult to do -- just as everyone has said.

However, I did it a bit differently than advised -- let her out in the morning with the other girls to free range and hang about which she did for a few hours, then the minute she went to plop herself in the nesting box, I hauled her out and stuck her in the cage where she spent the rest of the day. Then let her out to wander the greater yard again in late pm with the girls and do her dust bathing and again she would be out for an average of 4-6 hours, then rather than roosting at bedtime she would hit the nesting box -- so out she came and into the bird cage for the night. This lasted a couple of days and by yesterday I could tell there was a change in her. She's even come up a notch in pecking order I think! She definitely wanted to be part of the flock again and stuck with the other girls, stayed out for a long time -- went in and out just checking the nesting box but kept coming out quickly. I finally found her in it later in the day and stuck her in the cage till the late afternoon and let her out to do the ranging about. At bedtime she did go into the nesting box but cuz she had acted quite a bit different during the day, I hauled her out but stuck her on the roost in the coop rather than the cage. Unlike one night earlier in the week, she stayed on the roost and was still there once the other girls joined her at dark. I think, knock on wood, that she's back to normal but have the cage out and ready until I'm sure about it. So, that took about 3 days and 2 nights of jail to work.

Problem for me now is figuring out whether she's going into the nesting box to settle in or going in to lay an egg -- I'll be relieved once she's laid an egg again and I can really know she's back to normal!

If it ends up taking a bit more time and I have to continue to monitor her and haul her out of the nesting box a bit more, jail her a little longer, that's OK -- I've sure learned a lot! Next time I'll use that cage early on!

Once again, thanks so much for all your help!

Kerry

P.S. I read the articles and found them very interesting -- a good guide if I ever do decide to have some chicks.

 

[Judy]

I really like the ranging for several hours. I don't think a full-blown broody would have ranged; I think she would have headed straight for the nest, or made a new nest, without eggs if need be. I'd guess that either she is "winding down," or is one of those "sort of broody" chickens.

Have you thought of blocking the nest off at night? If you are out and about before the others start laying, that is, to reopen it.

The one time my broody finally gave up her broodiness and started ranging without having babies to raise, it was something like 10 or 12 days before she started laying again.

 

[Malpower]

I like that ranging around too -- she's been out all morning, close to 5 hours, and is sticking with the other girls. They are all lying down in the shade right now preening a bit, Baby is scrunched up next to her best buddy and looks most content. No one has gone in to lay anything yet, usually mid-day (and one of them at about 5:00 last night), so I keep monitoring the enclosure and the coop. This is VERY different behavior than the past 23-24 days -- as you said, she was obsessed with being on that nest, just hated to be off it for any big amount of time, about an hour to eat and drink when I hauled her out, but most anxious to get back in and when I had it closed off, she was pretty frantic -- hung about, clucking and cooing and vocalizing non-stop. I may be wrong, since I know little to nothing about all this, but I wonder if she didn't go back to the nest to sleep last night just because that's where she'd gone for the previous 20-some nights and it had become habit. What do you think? Once I put her on the roost, she seemed happy there and staked out her spot when the other girls joined her. When I put her on the roost with them earlier this week, she couldn't wait to get off it and down into the nesting box. I guess I can't really read her little mind, but yesterday and today I got the definite impression she was happy to be back in the flock and had a new independence and confidence about her, too! She's also become the friendliest of the 4 and now comes up to me and lets me stroke her. All-in-all, there seem to have been many pluses that have come out of this experience! Neat!

Re blocking nests -- I did do that earlier this week at night and Baby ended up sleeping on the floor right below the roost where she'd be pooped on -- so I opened up one nest again for her -- rest of week I would then haul her out and put her in the bird cage. Otherwise, for past couple of weeks I had been blocking off access to the coop entirely once all the girls that wanted to lay in there had laid.

I guess it takes a number of different moves, methods, to work it all out!

Glad to know that I shouldn't be expecting her to immediately start laying again, thanks for that info along with the rest.

So, we'll see what happens in the next couple of days!! Fingers crossed!

Thanks for your help!!!!!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I think you know your chicken very well! Sounds like a very good guess to me.

Good luck!

 

[shuizar209]

I wouldnt let her sit there for a long time... Broodiness takes a toll on a hen... I give my hen some fertile eggs to sit on.. then that way she is being productive... if not... then give her some ice to sit on... that works pretty well... good luck!!!

 

[Malpower]

Quote:
That's something I hadn't heard of doing but does make sense -- sure would have tried it 4 weeks ago and might well have helped nip it in the bud!

If you've read thru all the posts, you'll see that the cage seems to have worked a small miracle this week...whew!