What is this on my hens belly?

[HilaryAkin]

So, we got rid of our rooster a few days ago. The last two days I’ve noticed my black australorp hen hasn’t really left one of the nesting boxes. I assumed she was a bit sad or going broody. Today I picked her up to see if eggs were under there and noticed her belly felt funny. I looked and it’s bare with a scab of some sort. What do you guys think this is?

I took her outside. She preened and fluffed a bit, clucking, making noises, and wiping her beak a lot (??), drank some water and made her way back to the nesting box. Wondering if she’s sick and need to isolate her. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

She is probably broody. There is a breast blister over the keel on her bare chest. Broodies normally pull out their feathers to cover eggs. Will she pull eggs under her, if you set one in front of her? What do her droppings look like?

 

[HilaryAkin]

She is probably broody. There is a breast blister over the keel on her bare chest. Broodies normally pull out their feathers to cover eggs. Will she pull eggs under her, if you set one in front of her? What do her droppings look like?

Yes, she does! I’ve seen her do it before and one of my olive eggers does that, pull eggs under them. Her droppings looked normal. She actually pooped while preening herself so I paid attention So hopefully nothing contagious? Phew! Would you suggest I put anything on the blister? I don’t want her being broody. I imagine I can look up how to break her of that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Broody poops are huge, smelly, and tend to look similar. I would clean the breast blister with Betadine or chlorhexidene daily. To break a broody, I separate in a wire crate or pen with food and water, but no bedding. If big enough, try to insert a padded roost. Five days is the average time to break them, and if they go back to the nest, do it a few more days. Is it getting cold where you live? I have had hens go broody in fall and winter, but watch her incase she is sick.

 

[HilaryAkin]

Broody poops are huge, smelly, and tend to look similar. I would clean the breast blister with Betadine or chlorhexidene daily. To break a broody, I separate in a wire crate or pen with food and water, but no bedding. If big enough, try to insert a padded roost. Fice days is the average time to break them, and if they go back to the nest, do it a few more days. Is it getting cold where you live? I have had hens go broody in fall and winter, but watch her incase she is sick.

I didn’t notice it being extra big or smelly. I have been seeing some big poops around when I go take care of them but assumed it was the rooster… I sprayed it with that Vet(something, can’t remember how to spell it). It is very cold here as I’m in northern Michigan. I have babies in the separate pen getting acquainted with the older hens so this broody girl would have to go in the dog kennel but I’m not comfortable leaving her outside with these temps in the kennel. It’ll be almost freezing tonight. I would want her to still be around the other chickens. Maybe over night in garage and kennel out in run during day?

 

[Eggcessive]

That might work, if you don’t have room in the coop for a crate.

 

[HilaryAkin]

That might work, if you don’t have room in the coop for a crate.

Unfortunately our dog crate is for our Great Pyrenees, so huge. It might fit right in the middle of the coop though…