Solitary chicken - need advice

[hpops]

I've got a very broody hen that has been sitting on her eggs for about 5 days now - she's only popped off once to feed and have a drink. The eggs she has been sitting on are unfertilised.

 

I have bought some fetilised eggs and just went to put them under her and she is completely soaking wet - as far as I can see she has broken a number of the eggs she has been sitting on. I have moved her onto a dish with wood shavings in it - which I hope will soak up a bit of the moisture - but what shall I do now?

 

She really was soaking wet - all under her wings and everything. Surely I can't leave her like that??? She definitely doesn't want to be disturbed and wants very much to sit on her eggs (what's left of them!!) and the other dilemma is that I have three fertilised eggs that I was hoping to put under her that I now don't know what to do with. I am assuming that if I have to bathe her that she will stop being broody?

 

I'm ever so worried about her - she must be cold?? I think the reason that it happened is that she was sitting on the eggs in the egg port in a corner with no wood sshavings and squashed them against the hard floor. This shouldn't happen again as I have moved her onto a nest of wood shavings.

[Katie]

She could have just stood on them by accident maybe? I would get a warm damp cloth and wipe off what you can so shes comfier. From what you've said she sounds pretty determined so I don't think that will make her stop being broody! But I don't think you have anything to worry about, i'm sure her body heat in the nest is keeping her nice and warm

[Tara.F]

I'd bathe her

nothing like rotting egg under a warm chicken to grow bacteria eh?

 

most people find that it takes more than one dunk in cold water to get a hen to stop brooding....so a nice warm bath, then snuggled up in a towel in a cardboard box in the kitchen and I reckon she'll be fit to sit in the morning

 

if the fertilised eggs haven't yet been warmed they'll be fine for another day or two, you could always sit her on golfballs tomorrow just to make sure

good luck

[Tina C]

I have a broody bantam that has been sitting on 2 frozen ice packs all day - when they are determined they generally are determined so a bit of a wash won't hurt.

 

I would try and clean her up a bit with warm water and perhaps put a warm hot water bottle under her if you are worried about her cooling down.

[Egluntyne]

I'd bathe her quickly with warm water and dry her off with an old towel..

 

She will start to smell if the egg is left and any bacteria could affect the fertilised eggs.

[hpops]

It gets worse!!! I've picked her up again to bathe her and her underneath is completely featherless! Why and how has this happened??

 

Does it have something to do with sitting for too long (she's only been on the nest for 4 days??) is it because she was sitting on smashed eggs?

 

I can't believe it happened before and I never noticed. she doesn't like being picked up so she isn't often, but my hens are always out free ranging - I can't believe I wouldn't have noticed! I have bathed her and got as much off as I can - dried her in a towel and popped her back in the eglu.

 

Now I'm worried about her being cold.....as she has no feathers underneath. however she is cleaner than she was and she must be more comfortable.

[Mrs Frugal]

If her breast is featherless, it's probably because she's pulled the feathers out to line her nest. Broodies do this quite normally so they can put their warm skin against the eggs to keep them at the right temperature.

[Tina C]

Don't worry - that does happen to broody hens (I think they pluck the feathers out themselves) she is 'normal' for a broody

[..lay a little egg for me]

I think I've read on here that broody hens will pluck out their own feathers from their undersides so as to be able to get their hot bodies closer to the eggs! (ahhh). I'm sure someone will be along soon to confirm/refute this. If true, then its nothing to worry about...

 

Hope so anyway...

[WitchHazel]

I was amazed at just how hot Lydia got when she was broody. I'm sure your Girl will be fine. And she's definitely better washed than covered in stale egg.

[Pinkybijou]

As others have said, don't worry about the bald underside. Our Dora has been broody for about a week or so now and is totally bald underneath. All her feathers are in the nest where she is happily brooding NOTHING AT ALL!! Doris only lays every other day and I remove the egg as soon as I can, but when I retrieve it from under Dora it is really really warm from her warm baldy breast!

[bronze]

Hope she sits again for you.

 

Tina is your broody one of them? My other two who went broody last time are at it again. ahhhh

[Tina C]

Bron - 3 of them 4 sisters/nieces to yours are at various stages of broodiness right now - I always seem to have at least one hogging the nest.

 

They are all a nuisance - I have been thinking of offering them all to aynone who wants a broody