Weird Behavior

[GypsyChick89]

An elevated cage? Like a small dog kennel? Do you leave it in the coop? Will she be picked on when you let her out and for how long do you keep her in there?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

An elevated cage? Like a small dog kennel? Do you leave it in the coop? Will she be picked on when you let her out and for how long do you keep her in there?

Yep a small kennel will work great - I use cinder blocks to keep it up off the floor (this allows air flow to get under the hen). The buster consists of the cage, food and water dish - that's it -- no bedding, no roost, etc. I'll usually do the first "test release" after two days in the cage, if she goes about the business of behaving like her old self, she stays out - if she goes back to broody behavior she goes back in the box. Leaving her in the coop during this time eliminates the issue of reintroduction picking - and if she is no longer broody behaving when she gets out of the box she won't be picked on like she has when you remove her from the nest because she is no longer going to hunker down in the place you set her and refuse to move while the others pick at her.

 

[GypsyChick89]

Yep a small kennel will work great - I use cinder blocks to keep it up off the floor (this allows air flow to get under the hen).  The buster consists of the cage, food and water dish - that's it -- no bedding, no roost, etc.  I'll usually do the first "test release" after two days in the cage, if she goes about the business of behaving like her old self, she stays out - if she goes back to broody behavior she goes back in the box.  Leaving her in the coop during this time eliminates the issue of reintroduction picking - and if she is no longer broody behaving when she gets out of the box she won't be picked on like she has when you remove her from the nest because she is no longer going to hunker down in the place you set her and refuse to move while the others pick at her.

Ok thank you for the help! I'll have to find a small kennel tomorrow. Hope it works! I don't want to have to make her in to stew! And a MN winter is no time to hatch chicks

 

[azelgin]

My broodies usually go in a chicken tractor. The other hens free range around the tractors, so, they all "keep in touch". I haven't had to resort to the kennel, but it seems like a good solution, when coop availability is limited.

 

[justplainbatty]

An elevated cage? Like a small dog kennel? Do you leave it in the coop? Will she be picked on when you let her out and for how long do you keep her in there?

The idea is to air out or cool down her underpinnings (the area under her belly where the hen will shed feathers so her skin will keep eggs warm). There are hormones involved too so it takes several days for it all to settle down. What ever you put her in, keep her in with food and water but no nesting material. Of course the day run is ok too as long as there are no nesting sites.

Test her after 3 days to see if she is "done" yet. You'll figure it out.

She might surprise you by laying and egg too!

 

[justplainbatty]

To: Ole Gray Mare, it's kinda funny, while I took a half hour to peck at posting similar information as you while watching The incredible Dr. Pol....
You beat me to it! (I didn't try to step on you, apparently I'm just slow)! Sorry
Will I get into trouble on here for mentioning a t.v. show? I hope not