Strange Behavior

[EggSighted4Life]

The rooster keeps the hen moving.

And I consider both the light and the water too be too reminiscent of forms of torture for me to be comfortable using them. That said, they are options and I'm hardly going to condemn people for using them, especially when I know that a hen can die on the nest--I found one bantam hen up in our barn-top once, on rotten eggs, weighing several ounces less than she should have. She made it, but it was close.

Personally, I think there's nothing more adorable than this.

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Oh my hens don't stop moving they are mad and trying frantically to get back to their nest!

Yes, that is toooo adorable!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Oh my hens don't stop moving they are mad and trying frantically to get back to their nest!

Yes, that is toooo adorable!

I agree with you; they don't stop moving--until they pick out a soft corner and decide that this is the new nest.

 

[timothyyoung]

Thank you everyone, we will try to break her of the sitting. Thought it was broodiness, but was getting worried with how long it has gone on and not actually sitting on any eggs. We do have a Roo he is a little over a year old, an Americana named Noodles.

We have been taking her out of the box and coop a couple times a day and letting her go with the other chickens, but as I said after about 30 min she just heads back to the coop and sits again.

 

[timothyyoung]

 

[sylviethecochin]

I want, I want I want!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

oooh, she's pretty!

 

[timothyyoung]

Just thought I would update. After 4 days of removing her from the coop and closing the door so she could not get back in, she has returned to normal behavior. For a couple days she would sit in the nesting boxes all night and now she is back up on the roost with the rest of the chickens at night. Thank you everyone.

 

[BantyChooks]

Why preferably WITH a rooster?

I would never do a cold water dunk, that's just cruel. And I would also be hesitant to do the light, let me tell you why...

As far as the light goes, I agree that being lighter will help break sooner since laying is hormonal and effected by light. However having lost a non prolific layer to egg binding when she came out of broody breaking... I would consider it to be putting a greater risk. But maybe that's paranoia speaking.

ETA: my broody's will go all crazy mama on anybody stuck in with them.

Late to the party, but why cruel? I do it. It just gets their belly wet, that's all. I use cool water, not cold, and I find it very effective. Lowers body temp, breaks the broody cycle---hastens the process instead of keeping them penned for a whole week.

 

[timothyyoung]

We didn't pen her up at all. Once she was out she just hung out with the other chickens and ran around with them. She would go back to the coop a couple of times and check the door, but when she couldn't get in she would just go rejoin the rest of the chickens. We have 1 roo and 5 hens that free range our 7 acres, the only time they are locked up is at night after they all head back to the coop.