very broody hen

[econerd]

So I've got my first very broody hen, she's a pekin banti in her first season of laying and up until recently she has been very good layer. We have had a big chuck go a bit broody but she gets over it pretty quick and only lasts a few days. This one however has been going over month and she's still persisting. If I remove her from the coop she just goes straight back in there, even when there's no eggs. Today I've brought her inside where its cooler and put her in a dog crate so I can keep an eye on her. She's done the usual plucked out her belly feathers, lost weight etc. I want to get her an egg to hatch as we don't have a male and arnt allowed one here but my sister is refusing to do it because she doesn't want babies and for some reason won't sell them. She's been in the crate nearly an hour and is not interested in food apart from a bit of tomato, and she's settled her self down in brood mode pretty quick.
Took this pic about half an hour ago

This about 10 mins ago

I'm worried she will keep going till she kills herself. I don't like the idea of wire bottomed cage as it could take her a couple of weeks to come out of it and it might cause bumblefoot. I have managed to treat a fairly bad case in a guinea pig with cussioned plasters and sudocrem but I know how problematic it can be.
I read that keeping them uncomfortable can stop them, but she's been sitting in the coop on just wood which isnt comfy at all so she's used to it. Is there anything else I can do to help her?

 

[jtbrown]

If you search on here, you will see several different things about breaking a broody hen. Several involve cooling a hen's body temperature (I fear doing anything too drastic), but I have never done that. And luckily I do have fertile eggs, so I just throw a couple eggs under my hens. I understand that isn't an option for you, however.

I have had hens just up and quit being broody and sometimes moving them (as you have done) is enough to break it. Do not worry too much about her not eating. I was able to get my broody girls to eat bits of scrambled egg when I felt like I wanted them to eat and they didn't want to eat. They never ate it in front of me, always left it there in front of them, and it was gone that evening. They are in a trance like state in being broody and it is odd to deal with. By the way, I think bringing her in with the crate is very nice of you, hopefully a few days of that and she will stop being broody. She is a pretty little hen!

Good luck, and hopefully someone who has been successful in breaking a broody will chime in.

 

[realsis]

I have a broody right now too! Make sure she's eating. And drinking. Mine will get off her nest to poo eat and drink a couple times a day
I also physically remove mine from the nest once a day and put her into the run where there is no nesting material and she scratches around like normal as soon as she goes back to her house she starts sitting again. But at least once a day she gets some exercise off the nest. Maybe you can get yours off the nest awhile too.this way she eats drinks and gets some exercise.it works for my broody. Then at least I know she's eating and drinking. It doesn't break the broodiness it just gives them a break off the nest.

 

[econerd]

Thank you, I managed to get her to pick at a bit of wholemeal grannery roll just now but she's not touched the layers pellets. I'm in the southwest UK so it was 25 c here today, and that was inside the house where its cooler, she was really hot when I picked her up.
Luckily we already had the crate for the dogs. She's been a bit panicky and making distressed noises but settled down again now. I just hope its enough to snap her out. I would love to get her a chick to take care of, she would make a great mum.

 

[realsis]

Yes they do get very hot.my broody is in her run right now
I've ordered a broody cage but its not here yet
.at least she's eating and drinking thank God and strangely she behaved normally off her nest. But once back in her house she goes to sitting again. Its so hard to think of putting her in a cage alone (this is my most special hen) but I guess I'll have to... Good luck to you!

 

[econerd]

I don't like separating her from her banti friend as they are very close and get distressed even if there's just fence between them, she has the rabbit next door for company and he's quite intrigued by her. I was taking her off her nest but she would just squark at me and run right back in there, silly thing. She was even sitting on the big chicken eggs, she can get 2 banti and 4 big eggs under her and you can't see them at all. I don't like the idea of dunking her in water, they hate getting wet, or ice or anything else that's really gonna stress her. Crating her is the lesser of several evils really. If she's still not snapped out in a week I will have tojust get an egg anyway for her. She's only just over a year old so really don't wanna loose her for the sake of getting a fertile egg.

 

[realsis]

Oh goodness don't say you will loose her! I understand what your saying though. As long as she is eating and drinking she should be fine! I completely understand what your going through! My broody is one of my favorites! I'd just die if I'd loose her! I keep seeing her get up to poo and eat about twice a day and I'm so thankful for that! Is yourseating at all? Drinking? I read a recent articlethat said broodies. Will eat its just sometimeswe don't see them do it. I'm worried aboutweight loss! I just got my broody to eat a apricot and a tiny bit of mash. I consider myself lucky because if I put mine in her run away from her house she behaves normally
As soon as she gets into her house she's puffed up and nest sitting again. I tried placing cool rocks under her but it didn't work.... I guess I'll try the cage when it arrives...

 

[econerd]

I've managed to get her to pick at some more roll today, but she doesn't want anything nutritional, her poos are very infrequent and tiny and she's not even bothering to move to do them, just dropping them where she's sitting. She's a bit wobbly on her feet too. She's got a bowl of chopped tomato which they normally down in seconds but its untouched over night. Just cleaned her out and she's gonn and sat back down. I might have someone I can borrow eggs from, let her hatch them and take care of them and then give the chicks back when their ready.

 

[jak2002003]

She would be better with a wire bottom to the cage, so air can get under her and cool her down.

Also put in a roost, If she goes up one night onto it that will also help.

Usually a broody hens poop are huge and stinky... just a few each day.. that they have been saving up in their body. They will leave the nest area to poop.

If you hen is making small poops where she is sitting that sound like she may be sick, rather than broody.

They will also eat a lot when broody.....only 2 times a day. She will leave the nest, fill up her crop to nearly bursting, drink, and run back to the nest.

They only do this when everything is quiet and there are no disturbances about.

Maybe you hen is not getting off to eat as she can see or hear people about all the time?

Hope she improves soon.

 

[econerd]

She has a branch in there to sit on, she's got on it a few times but got back off again. She's been sat in their own coop and left alone for a month, I only brought her in yesterday. She's not bothered about me being here, its just me and I'm not walking around a lot. If I drop bits of roll in in front of her she will eat some, she is broody because she's been resolutely sitting on the eggs of the other chickens, pecking and growling at me when I go to collect them, plucked out her belly feathers. Even with no eggs in there now she's still sitting like there's eggs under her. It was really hot out in the coop, but much cooler here in the house. She's happy otherwise, preening, making mummy calls, he comb is still red. There was one bigger poo in there this morning, but not huge and not stinky, but then she's only a little banti so there no it going to be huge.