Chicken bald back

[Griff007]

Hello All

 

These chooks can be so stubborn! My Frida has been broody for about 2 weeks now, and I'm at a loss what to do. She won't leave the nest unless I pick her up (which she has never let me do before!), and turf her out.

 

As soon as she has gourged herself, back she goes onto the nest, even when I've left the roof off the Eglu and removed Agnetha's egg.

 

Anyone got anymore ideas?

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

 

I think she's got through it. Went out this morning and 2 eggs!

Hmmmmmm....... did I remove yesterdays?

 

For anyone in same position, I booted her off Agnethas every day, shut the eglu door she she couldn't scurry back in, and left her outside as long as I could. Pleanty of cool dirt baths, and the odd hose down.

Mind you, at least when she was broody, I could pick her up and give her a nice cuddle-couldnt get near her normally!

 

Anyway, lets see tomorrow if there's one or two !

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's good, I hope she's over it!

[susiepoos]

My chicken Lily has been broody now for a week - I've tried the ice pack and the ducking her in water but I'm really getting desperate now because she's pulling all her feathers out from her breast, tummy and legs. She looks such a mess and doesn't seem to be improving at all - I think I'm going to have to get a crate from somewhere and trying that as very soon she won't have a feather left!!!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think I'm going to have to get a crate from somewhere and trying that as very soon she won't have a feather left!!!!

 

Mine came from * ebay * if that's any help .

[Yolky]

Could you use the crate as a pet carrier to transport the chooks?

[Stevie]

Well, I feel like a right rotten chicken mum . Let's hope it works, I feel so cruel .

 

 

Snap! Mines in solitary too!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Could you use the crate as a pet carrier to transport the chooks?

 

Hmm, not sure . I think they'd be happier in a cardboard box where it was dark and cosy and they could go into roost mode.

[Griff007]

Hello All

 

These chooks can be so stubborn! My Frida has been broody for about 2 weeks now, and I'm at a loss what to do. She won't leave the nest unless I pick her up (which she has never let me do before!), and turf her out.

 

As soon as she has gourged herself, back she goes onto the nest, even when I've left the roof off the Eglu and removed Agnetha's egg.

 

Anyone got anymore ideas?

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

 

I think she's got through it. Went out this morning and 2 eggs!

Hmmmmmm....... did I remove yesterdays?

 

For anyone in same position, I booted her off Agnethas every day, shut the eglu door she she couldn't scurry back in, and left her outside as long as I could. Pleanty of cool dirt baths, and the odd hose down.

Mind you, at least when she was broody, I could pick her up and give her a nice cuddle-couldnt get near her normally!

 

Anyway, lets see tomorrow if there's one or two !

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

 

 

Oh no.... It didnt work, so she's in the shed. Been in there for 4 days, and still no egg.

Am getting a dog crate as I have to clean the box out every day and put her in another

 

Its not easy seeing her scrambling about trying to get out, but I haven't heard of any other way.

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08 ON HOLD...

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

[Tessa the Duchess]

 

I found this guinea pig house in a charity shop (£4) I took out all the ladders and whatnots, turned it upside down, wired two take-away boxes on to the bars and hey presto a broody cage I put Annie (my constantly broody chicken) into it for 48 hours and she is cured I felt terrible doing it, but so pleased I did and will again. I don't think using a box would work she needs cold air circulating round her nether parts to cool her down.

 

Tessa

[Christian]

Looks perfect Tessa

[Tessa the Duchess]

Thank you Christian Necessity being the mother of invention and all that

 

Tessa

[henny penny]

Hi Our maran cuckoo (speckledy hen) has just come out of her broodiness. We put her in the old guineapig run for the day and let her in the eglu at night -three days of confinement worked -I'll do this again next time -felt bad but it worked!

[redhotchick]

She sat for 3 hours after laying her egg, so lifted her and found she'd pulled out feathers and gathered the fake eggs and her own underneath her and all were so hot!. so turfed her out egg port and she ran off to join others free ranging but think she will be back soon..

 

Oh! I see. A broody hen pulls her own feathers out to give more heat to the eggs! Have I got that right? I noticed this morning that Bella, who has been broody all this week, has a bald patch underneath. It's not noticeable unless I pick her up.

[Egg Lou]

Hi Cathy

 

Yes it seems they pull lots of breast feather out so eggs sit closer to a humid heat source! The area feels like a very soft hot water bottle

Mine pulled loads, although now you can't see unless she stretches or you actually peer underneath!

[redhotchick]

I've sat Bella on an ice pack, wrapped in plastic, then in a cloth. I'll keep replacing them and hopefully cool her down and stop her being broody.

[Seagazer]

My pepperpot was broody for nearly two weeks, tried the ice trick etc but the thing that seemed to work was shutting off the nesting box to her with a trug. She started laying again yesterday and is back to normal - hurray!

 

If only I hadn't got rid of the guinea pig cage

[Griff007]

Hello All

 

These chooks can be so stubborn! My Frida has been broody for about 2 weeks now, and I'm at a loss what to do. She won't leave the nest unless I pick her up (which she has never let me do before!), and turf her out.

 

As soon as she has gourged herself, back she goes onto the nest, even when I've left the roof off the Eglu and removed Agnetha's egg.

 

Anyone got anymore ideas?

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

 

I think she's got through it. Went out this morning and 2 eggs!

Hmmmmmm....... did I remove yesterdays?

 

For anyone in same position, I booted her off Agnethas every day, shut the eglu door she she couldn't scurry back in, and left her outside as long as I could. Pleanty of cool dirt baths, and the odd hose down.

Mind you, at least when she was broody, I could pick her up and give her a nice cuddle-couldnt get near her normally!

 

Anyway, lets see tomorrow if there's one or two !

 

Yay!!!!

Bought a dog carrier from pet shop, turned it upside down, and stuck Frida in it. 5 days later, got home from work, and a cracked egg on the floor.

So, I let her out to freedom with her chum Agnetha. However, I showed her the cage, so that anymore nonsense like this, and she's back in there!

 

Since then, she's laid everyday!!

I reckon she must have been broody for about 7 weeks!

 

Top tip - Get a dog carrier and pop them in there as soon as you suspect broodiness ie sitting on nest, fluffing feathers, not eating/drinking, comb fading to pink.

 

I've read very mixed reports about ice blocks or bricks in the nest. Don't bother. If you have other hens, she will just move onto the other eggs!!

Get a pet carrier, tie the feed/water trays in, elevate on two bricks...and leave her (take her into shed overnight if you dont have massive tarpaulin)

 

Be ruthless, and she'll be sorted soon enough

 

25/02/08 Frida - First egg 08/03/08

25/02/08 Agnetha - First egg 08/04/08

[BarbaraJ]

i have a broody chicken. I have turfed her off the nest loads and today resorted to dunking her in cold water, i will try that tomorrow then get the dog crate out of the loft next week if i need to. Thetrouble is the others are hardly laying now, i've had 3-4 eggs in 10days!! is this normal for her to upset the others from laying? i don't want to put her in the crate till next week as we are away over the weekend and i don't trust the teens i'm leaving at home to look after her in there.

[BarbaraJ]

well she was back on this morning so got the dog crate and hopefully she can come out sat morn.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Molly became very broody just before we went on holiday (and had stopped laying). We were away for 10 days so she was seriously broody when we came back . Three days and nights in the dog cage and she's over it - still not laying though . Milly's now missing alternate days laying too so I hope your theory about broody hens messing up the others isn't true .

[BarbaraJ]

Lol shes not impressed but wow is she eating alot!! 1 of the others has laid, hopefully both tomorrow had to go buy eggs for our weekend away was gutted i really bought the chickens for eggs first then pets, now its pretty equal but i still need eggs lol was enjoying my boiled egg for brekkie every day