4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chickaboo]

I'm sorry I did ask you all a few weeks ago, but I am a little worried, Daphne has now gone into week 4 of being broody. We have tried every thing, but nothing works, so we decided just to leave her to get on with it. I don't care about not having any eggs, and she can sit on the nest all summer if she wants, but he trouble is she doesn't get up to eat or drink. For 4 days she has not got off the nest - I have resorted to feeding her little favourites (yesterday I was out in th pouring rain, offering for tiny peices of grape !!) she will eat a small quantity, but will not drink any water. She is extremley thin, and her coomb is starting to dry out. OH says just leave her to it, but I really think she could starve herself to death She looks ok apart from this, no other signs of ill health. I think I just need reassuring that she will go back to normal and eat again. Has anyone else had such an extreme broody??

[chelsea]

someone's broody on here was broody for 10 weeks!

 

one of my chooks was broody for 3 weeks, had a 2 week gap and has now been broody again for 3 weeks!

 

I have tried everything (dunking/broody cage/sitting on frozen veg) and nothing works. I do however, make sure she gets off the nest at least twice a day. Is there any way you can shut off the nest box or shut the eglu door once your other girls have laid? Whenever I do this my broody will go out on the lawn to feed on grass and eat a few pellets.

 

Another thing I have done is when she's trying to nest on the lawn is to gently squirt the hosepipe at her direction (not exactly at her but towards her) this then makes her get up and move about a bit.

[Chickaboo]

Yep tried that - she will nest in the run, on the lawn or wherever she is put!! Trouble is, I work 3 days a week, so I can't squirt her or move her on a daily basis. It gets even more complicated than that, because Phoebe lays (on top of her it appears!!), Daphne somehow gets the egg under her - but Phoebe lays very soft eggs, so obviously Daphne squashes them, and ends up sitting in yolk So I have to get her up to clean it all out every day !!!!

[chelsea]

I know how you feel. When we are at work I have to leave her in the nestbox aswell. As long as you can do it as much as you can when you are at home I wouldnt really worry too much (I know its hard).

 

my broody lost loads of weight on her 1st stint of broodiness....she soon put it back on though!!

[Chickaboo]

Thats reassuring, thanks

[Tessa the Duchess]

T'was my Annie that went broody for 10 weeks I just let her get on with it, I will never do it again, it's the broody cage for her the minute I spot the signs. She hardly ate any layers pellets, but she did drink and would still be enthusiastic about treats She did lose weight, but I monitored her carefully, and I did chuck her off the nest box as soon as my other chook had laid, I closed the Eglu door too. If you are worried try her on some sloppy porridge made with oats and water, if that doesn't work maybe you could try syringing some water into her beak. If she is not laying she wont need much food anyway, but she will need water. It is a worry, poor you Have you read the stickie on treating a broody hen?

 

Tessa

[Chickaboo]

10 weeks!!!! I just can't de-brood Daphne, if I lock her out she will just make a nest on the ground. She won't drink, and will only eat a small amount of raisins, grapes and the odd cornflake. If I do force her out of the nest, she is all wobbly and very erracticaly behaved (hormones I assume ) I'm so worried she'll waste away.

[chelsea]

I dont know whether you want to try her with some chopped cucumber as a treat (just an idea) my girls will eat chopped cucumber and its great in the summer as it contains a lot of water, might be good if your hen isnt eating much.

 

Have you tried tempting her with some porridge?

 

My broodies will still come off nesting for treats.

[Helen&Lee]

I haven't kept count but I think I must be nearing 10 weeks with 3 broody Brahmas

I chuck them out morning and evening and throw treats in the run at the same time which they eat - but they are very thin.

Doris, who started her broody phase before the other three is now laying again and she went really bony while broody

What about some watermelon? I've also been doing porridge alot - filling it with tuna cat food (protein) and poultry spice for extra minerals and a dollop of natural yoghurt.....really.. the things we do

 

Helen

[Willow]

I had a very broody chicken last summer, weeks and weeks (didn't count up but it was about . Tried everything except a broody cage as I couldn't find anything suitable. We only had 2 then and the other was so lonely she kept escaping and wandering off to see the builders working nearby or the school children opposite

Our broody one got very aggressive as well, especially with our poor cat who got chased whenever he ventured into the garden !

But she snapped out of it eventually with no ill effects

[chocchick]

Have you tried a broody cage for anything up to a week? If so, what did you do exactly? Was it for 24 hours a day with air circulating underneath?

After a few weeks I used one on Susannah as it is possible a broody will not eat even if she needs to. I bought a dog cage in the end, turned it upside down, put it on bricks and put roosting bars in the bottom. I brought it into the house at night for safety.

[TheCoop]

We're into our 4th or 5th week or broodiness with Dolly. Complete nightmare. Nothing works, so I have to lift her out of the nest box every morning when she normally snaps out of it for long enough to drink and scoff down some food, then she gets all clucky and desperate to go back in. When I get back from work, I have to do the same thing again and she eats and drinks again (seemingly no loss in appetite when she does actually eat). I don't think she has anything during the day at all, which worries me as we're going to have to leave them for 2 1/2 days soon when she probably won't move an inch!

 

Broodiness sucks!