Stubborn Broody!

[Aunt Angus]

I searched all the posts for an answer to situation like this, but didn't find anything new, so here I am again seeking expert advice.

My Brahma, Aster, went broody for the first time 2 weeks ago. She's almost 3 years old. After she didn't come out of the nest box for a day, I put her in broody jail (elevated dog crate with wire floor and no bedding, etc.).

After a few days, she seemed to be normal - pupils not super dilated, no more angry "ticking, and whatnot. So I let her out for a little bit and watched her. She ran out into the yard, took a quick dust bath, and made a bee line for the nest box. Back into broody jail she went. I raised the crate higher and put a frozen 2-liter under the crate.

She's STILL at it after another week. She eats ok sonetimes, but she's very thin - her breastbone is very pronounced, as and her underside is bare where she's plucked herself. I trimmed her nails and beak, but she's ANGRY and pecks me. Hard. Ow.

Any ideas? I'm worried she won't break. I don't want chicks right now because I don't feel like I have the room.

Should I bring her inside? Is being out there with her sisters affecting her hormones?

 

[nuthatched]

Have you tried dunking her? it's drastic but it might help.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Have you tried dunking her? it's drastic but it might help.

Consider it done. I'll give it a go asap and let you know.

 

[Chickichickichoo]

Don't just dunk her make sure and let her sit in the water for a few minutes.

 

[aart]

Show us your broody breaker?
Has she been broody before?
Is it hot where you are right now?
Wetting her undercarriage might help, in cool not COLD water.

I like to let them out late in the day, and close off the nests.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Here's the set up, minus the frozen 2-liter (it's refreezing). The crate is up on pavers at the corners.

It's pretty warm here (90s). That's why I used the ice under the cage.

There's a board over it because she was climbing out through the holes to get to the nest!

Dunked the poor biddy. She was not happy with me. I stuck her back in the crate. Let her out this morning to see what she'd do. Went out in the yard. Took a dust bath. Got some water. Went back in a nest box. UGH.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And, no, she's not been broody before. I gave had 1 other hen go broody once a couple of years ago (other than my Silkies, who are perpetually broody but seem to manage it better).

 

[aart]

Got any 1x2 cage mesh?
Might want to stick a length of 2x4 in there to give her feet a break from the wire floor.
When it's really hot I put them in a crate in the shaded part of the run for the hottest part of the day. One year it was so hot I had to move the crate to the shadiest part of the yard a couple times a day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If all else fails, bring her inside your home or an insulated garage to increase the disruption (changing her environment) plus to drop her temperatures a bit, since it's likely more cool in the house than in the coop.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I am at my wits' end, I tell you what. The coop us air conditioned, so it's actually cooler in there than inhere at the moment. I have it cranked up in the coop! But I may bring her in tonight just to get her away from the others, esp my Silkie, who is also broody. Gahhh!

If I can't get her to stop, I'll just get a couple of chicks and stick them under her. Not my first choice, but I have the room. Just need to make sure I get pullets. Don't want any more roosters, thank you very much.