The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[misbhaven]

i took a picture... but looked bright red to me
I left some scrambled eggs and some mashed up carrots and celery ( i had canned them trying out my new pressure canner for quick soups etc)

 

[amenfarm]

It's been a while, so I'm sure I've missed a ton. I've been super busy this summer, and being on this thread is addicting so I've steered clear. But now I need some advice.

Of my eight hens, two of them have been broody for about 4 weeks. I have no roosters, but I would like to raise baby chicks under a broody hen next year, so I didn't want to totally discourage one of them from being a good broody mom. So I left the wooden egg under her and let her think she was doing all the right things. The other one is neurotic, so I took the wooden egg out from under her and kept taking her off the nest several times every day for a few weeks, hoping she'd just give it up.

But she outlasted me, and I finally gave up taking the neurotic one off her nest, and now I'm letting them both sit on empty nests. I had to put a plastic dog kennel in the coop, lined with nesting material, so the others would have a place to lay! I only had three nests to begin with, which was enough for eight laying hens, but one nest is just not enough for six. They do seem happy with two nests, though, and I usually get 4-6 eggs a day.

How long does this go on? I don't really have a feasible way to separate a broody hen to discourage her, and I don't want to dunk them under water - it seems so drastic, and after four weeks, I'm not sure it would work. I kind of thought that after 3-4 weeks of setting and no chicks, they would give up, especially with no eggs under them.

What should I do? Is it possible to just wait them out, and if so, how long will that take? If not, are they going to be broody until they die?

I kind of remember Scott having a broody hen for a long time, and I think she finally just stopped on her own. Is that right? That's what I was hoping would happen.

Also, I wonder if it's any coincidence that these two hens are at the bottom of the pecking order. Would raising chicks give them more standing in the flock? I've thought that maybe that's why they're doing it (not purposefully, of course, just that being low down might make their bodies more likely to go broody).

Suggestions? Thoughts?

Mine just stopped being broody after about 6 almost 7 weeks. I went out everyday and carried her to the end of the run, seemed to help.

 

[Jewelwing]

Mine just stopped being broody after about 6 almost 7 weeks. I went out everyday and carried her to the end of the run, seemed to help.

Thanks! Amazingly enough, two days after I posted that question, both my broodies stopped being broody. They haven't started laying eggs again yet, but at least they're out with the flock instead of hogging nest boxes. I didn't have to do anything drastic - just remove the wooden eggs from under them. They sat on air for about 1-1/2 weeks before giving up.

Is it weird that they became broody within a day of each other and stopped within a day also? The Speckled Sussex led the way both times, and the Faverolle followed suit.

 

[lalaland]

i took a picture... but looked bright red to me
I left some scrambled eggs and some mashed up carrots and celery ( i had canned them trying out my new pressure canner for quick soups etc)

mbhaven, wish I had some advice or experience to offer - it doesn't look good. keep us posted on what you try and how it goes....keeping my fingers crossed. He looks darned healthy except for his position. could there be any moldy food at all?

 

[misbhaven]

he is still holding on..repeated liquids two more times he is moving just barely now and alert just seem dweak,eyes are clear , no moldy food, dishes get chaned cleaned every day, crop is not impacted or swollen it is empty..I do have a baby so I am thinking peas or something like that thinned and hand fed might help perk him up a bit, couldn't hurt anyway..I did move him to a rabbit cage laid on a old towel inside my basement it is about 90 here today and is only 70 down there..I think i am doing all i can do

 

[subhanalah]

he is still holding on..repeated liquids two more times he is moving   just barely now and alert just seem dweak,eyes are clear , no moldy food, dishes get chaned cleaned every day, crop is not impacted or swollen it is empty..I do have a baby so I am thinking peas or something like that  thinned and hand fed might help perk him up a bit, couldn't hurt anyway..I did move him to a rabbit cage laid on a old towel inside my basement it is about 90 here today and is only 70 down there..I think i am doing all i can do

could he have gotten into a place that was wet with rotting vegetation or animals (even a dead mouse)?
Hoping the vitamins help if it's wry neck.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

i took a picture... but looked bright red to me I left some scrambled eggs and some mashed up carrots and celery ( i had canned them trying out my new pressure canner for quick soups etc)

It is possible he injured his neck making an attempt to flog the predator through the fence by charging it? If he was frantic he could have hurt himself. Also the fall off the roost could have hurt him. Sometimes the stiffness doesn't show right away. I'm sorry he is as he is. I suspect though hard to hear he may need to be culled.

 

[misbhaven]

no rotting veggies, no mouse unless a live one ran in and he caught it, they were still in quarantine in a 4x12 dog run then we built a brand new coop, brand new run area and just them...he has poop stuck to him not sure if it was before he fell ill i don't think so examining the picture or he did it while in a weakened state..but he is still hanging in there..he can move both feet,wings, etc but is really weak and his head is more the right way now..it was only 70 last week and 90 today so just trying to get some fluids in him..the hens are normal eating fine drinking fine no issues

 

[misbhaven]

It is possible he injured his neck making an attempt to flog the predator through the fence by charging it? If he was frantic he could have hurt himself. Also the fall off the roost could have hurt him. Sometimes the stiffness doesn't show right away. I'm sorry he is as he is. I suspect though hard to hear he may need to be culled.

we suspect that already i am going to give him another day...to see if there is any improvement

 

[subhanalah]

we suspect that already i am going to give him another day...to see if there is any improvement

I've read another member say give Em three days. I think if he continues to show improvement (you said his head is almost right now?) Then give him a chance.