Urgent: Please Help My Constipated Broody Chicken

[Chickielady]

I agree with Max101, she has to be still laying.
You need to count her eggs daily, write a number on them, and then you'd know if she was still laying every so often.
She must have an egg.
When you are out next time, pick up some flaxseed at the health food, or maybe see it at the feed store, mix it in her feed.
For now, she needs that bath.
Maybe a towel on the eggs, then help the hen relax, alittle oil...dry her afterwards by dabbing with a towel.
Hope it all works out.

 

[gameboygal12]

I just felt her vent and it's not hard like an egg stuck or anything... I'll hae to try putting some oil on her food

 

[Chickielady]

good idea, maybe even a piece of tempting brown bread with a little olive oil spread on just to get her going ?
Anyone else done this ?
I do not know what else to suggest.

Hope she is not in pain, or has an infection in the vent ?
Maybe she needs a stitz bath like us women do after birthing.

 

[gameboygal12]

Quote:
good idea! I'll have too it to her later because she just ate about 30 minutes ago. I'll try to give her a bath, but I cant let her stay in it long cause of her eggs

 

[Chickielady]

I do not think it is a good idea to take her off of her eggs to feed her.
I always leave the hen's feed right there next to her nest, along with water, and let her est when she feels fit to do so.
She will get up and stretch and eat and get back on her eggs when she wants to.
It's instinctive, and awesome how they know.
If you have other hens about that can steal her food, then your broody hen should be carefully moved to an isolated area that is protected, and her chicks will be safe from other hens and animals when they hatch.
Fix her a nice private suite, and set up her nest just the same, and move them.
She should sit right back down on the eggs like nothing ever happened.
This is my opinion.
It seems scarey, like what if she does not want to sit after you move her ?
But I have never had a broody not want to brood.
Anyone else experience this ?

 

[max101]

If the chicken is egg bound or something else she would be in discomfort
Are the eggs worth this
chickens are great at pretending nothing is wrong once we find a problem it is general later in the stage
The earlier you treat the problem the better chance of survival





A broody will remain a broody dunked in water or anything else
No use havibng a cold chicken laying down on the eggs if you catch my drift

 

[gameboygal12]

Quote:
I do have her in a cage in my basement. I leave her food in her box. but she's so stubern that I have to hold it up to her for her to eat it. I just took her off her nest for a minuit or 2 because I was letting her stretch her legs and let her poop. but she was trying to poop and she couldn't. I've hatched chicks before soing the exact same thing I'm doing with this chicken so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong... I'm just scared about my precious little chickie.....

 

[Chickielady]

max101 what should be done ?
I agree that the hen is of more value than the clutch, she can always lay more IF she survives, the opposite maybe that you loose them all, hen included.
So what would Max do, and exactly how to give a en a stitz bath ?
I have held mine, even upside down to inspect for bugs and had them just "fall asleep" think that will work ?
I have to go, anxious to hear what happens.
But if she is not showing signs of distress, eianting or squawking, maybe just let her be ?

Good luck.

 

[ChicknLover]

You did say she pooped a day ago? I have a broody hen now and she doesn't go but about twice a week and it is really smelly and large. If she went yesterday I would just leave her on her nest a coupld of days and wait and see. offer her water and food real close to the nest so she can reach them and let her sit on her eggs... JMO

 

[eastbaychicks]

What about an electric blanket... would that work for the one hour spa treatment?