Some More Advice on my Broody Hen

[Malpower]

Quote:
Yahoo! Mission accomplished! Very normal day today and Baby didn't even look at the nesting box but hung out with the girls all day and tonight she went right in and up on the roost with no assist from me! Normal life resumes....

Huge sigh of relief!

Thanks to all of you who gave advice and shared info regarding my broody girl, especially to DDawn! I feel completely capable of handling it next time, and I'm sure there will be a next time, but that we won't be going through it for 25 days! The cage really worked just as everyone said it would!

Thank you, thank you! What would I do without this forum!!!

Kerry

 

[txchickie]

On the ice----I get the re-freezeable frozen ice packs and stick them in the nest when I have a Ms Broodypants that won't give it up, just put a few pieces of bedding on them so it's not so obvious (this may not be necessary, I am just paraniod

). While some of my oegb hens just wouldn't give it up and I gave in and gave them some eggs, this has worked time and time again for me.

I found the blue icepacks on sale at walgreens for like .10 cents last winter, bought nearly 40 of them and keep them in the deepfreeze. I've recently ventured into the world of silkies, so I have a feeling I am asking for it

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I LOVE that idea!

 

[pdsavage]

wow that was alot of work...i would have posted on craigs list see if someone wanted free chicks that hatched and let her hatch some eggs....
bet you would have had alot of people who take free chicks...

 

[Malpower]

Quote:

If you're talking to me about the trials and tribulations of Broody Baby -- yeah, it was a lot of work, but I got used to the routine, and then I didn't really know what I was doing for the first few weeks. If I'd taken the advice about the cage more seriously in the beginning, it would have undoubtedly been a lot less work and many weeks shorter in duration. I really like the idea of those ice packs too and will certainly try them next time before I go to the cage! Just wish I'd heard about them weeks ago, but NOW I know!

I would love to have let her have some chicks but for many reasons stated already, it just didn't seem like a good idea -- a primary reason being Lucy-fer, the bossy and rather aggressive New Hampshire Red who I feel might hurt a chick -- at least I'm not sure enough to try it -- and no room to set up another coop or broody area, etc.

 

[biddyboo]

Thanks in advance for helping this beginner understand her broody hen. Our flock of fifteen hens, no rooster, has one barred rock lady who has gone broody--over 2 weeks now she has shown broody behavior, increasing rather than decreasing. I've advertised for a few fertile eggs to set under her to hatch, thinking this is hormonally what she's wanting. My question, if you think I'm on the right track: how do I set her up for hatching some chicks? I have one raised 4 X 6 coop in a 25 by 25 chicken yard. All hens have recess free range time from about 7 pm to sundown when they return to their coop for the night. (amazing to see) I suppose I need to provide her some privacy and separation during the brooding and after with the chicks. I have a 3 X 5 dog crate padded with about 5 inches of straw, set on a wheeled lawn wagon. If I enclose this with tarp or plywood for rain protection, will this adequately give her privacy and shelter for the time she needs? Does she need ration and water in the crate close by or will she leave to get the nourishment from the feeders/waterer in the yard? IF eggs hatch, do I need to worry about the chicks in the yard with older hens or will the "mom" protect them? Any advice is appreciated! ~G

 

[niecy]

So I've got a cochin that is acting broody (she's sitting in the corner where she normally lays her eggs). She was there for a day with no eggs under her. Then today she laid an egg which I took away. A little while later she was out in the run acting normal, but now she's back in the corner of the coop. When I touch her she pecks at me and ruffles her feathers.

Are there possible problems that I should be checking for? or should I just try to break the broodiness. I don't want baby chicks...

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

We have taken a little different approach on the broody hens at my house. We take them off at least twice a day and put them by food and water. We also shoo them out at night and close off the nest boxes. It isn't breaking them, but they seem to be in reasonable health, so I am letting it go and living on less eggs for the time being. I did try putting ice cubes under them, but you know, in the lower Sonoran Desert, there is plenty of heat to go around. The ice cubes did nothing. I do think I might start weighing them to make sure they aren't loosing weight. If that happens I may break out the cages...which I am adverse to do in this heat. You know, the "cool air" under them is supposed to break them...what cool air? When the low is in the 80's at night, there is no cool air...and besides, I worry about trapping them anywhere in this heat. I feel strongly they need to move around at the hottest part of the day lest the cage ends up to be in a microclimate that spikes at some point during the day. . . . ok, that is my inexperienced rambling. If you have additional wisdom, I will listen.

 

[Malpower]

From another pretty inexperienced voice....have you tried the ice packs? They probably won't melt quite as fast as ice cubes, tho in your heat might not last all that much longer either, but maybe worth a try. Another thought, if you do want to put them in cages.....do you have a cool room in the house or garage where you could put the cage(s) for a few days?

As already related by me above, I let my girl be broody for about 21 days but it appeared she wasn't intending to stop on her own anytime soon -- she also was beginning to look thinner and I know even though I took her out of the nesting box every day, she wasn't eating that much -- I also started worrying when told it probably wasn't that good for her to be broody without setting on eggs and hatching them, with no point to it -- I guess there are many different views and opinions on this, but I'm now really glad I finally put her in jail for a few days and ended it. The hen is definitely happier too!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Okay, I put ice packs in all three egg boxes, and I found two hens sitting in one box. I pulled out the top one, she had cold feet. I pulled out the bottom one, she had a cold tummy. I guess they were loving the ice packs for heat relief!!!