WET hen...what should I be looking for?

[onafixedincome]

It's starting to be the rainy season, and of COURSE I have a stubborn setting (copper Maran?) hen who insists on staying on her nest--out in the rain, the idiot!

Last night I forcibly moved her and her three eggs (that aren't hers, because hers rotted underneath her, totally disgusting) into a sheltered area and I'm just praying she stays put. She was literally sopping wet at that point.

So now that I have a totally wet hen in windy weather, what do I watch for healthwise and how can I break her set? I tried a bare cage for three days as I was told by another owner, and nothing...I turned her loose and back she went to that same, stinking, empty nest. (It REEKED!!! Even after I hosed out all the dead eggs and detritus.) So she's a determined broad. I gave her three banty orpington eggs which also got wet last night, but that's not the issue--the little orp hen is setting over a DOZEN and losing three won't kill me.

I'm just worried about my insane (mad), wet hen.

 

[Judy]

Since the bare cage didn't work, she is probably going to be hard to break. I went through some of that. Now I just lift them out of the nest and chase them a bit til they start pecking and scratching, and get unfluffed, looking like a normal hen. So far, this gets it stopped in 2 or 3 weeks -- or else they just stop on their own, who knows.

I don't have a magic solution any more than you have. One thing I would do is close off or remove the stinky nest she thinks she should be setting in. Maybe she'll be one of those that quits because her nest is gone.

You might end up locking her into a dry nest area with food and water til she hatches something or abandons the eggs.

BTW, some of mine insist on getting soaked during heavy rains, some not. Never seems to hurt them.

Good luck.