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

[Helly Welly]

Henrietta, our blue layer, hasn't laid an egg for about two months now. Around the same time, she became much more timid. She'd never been one for hugs but now i have trouble getting her in the run as she won't come within 6 feet of me if she can help it.

 

Today, i caught her in the nestbox, just sitting there. She had a right paddy at me for daring to disturb her, but she's not laying anything. I remember catching her doing this about 4 weeks ago as well. I read the broody section and surely if she was broody she would have got over it by now? Apart from being so awkward, she appears to be in perfect health. I did notice that there are some feathers missing from her chest, which i suppose she could have plucked to build her nest. Mind you, two other girls have feathers missing from their chests too and they're still laying.

 

Any ideas?

 

Or have i just broken the record for the longest time a chook could be broody?

[chelsea]

broodiness can last for some time. Ours has been broody for 7 weeks now and before that she had a 2 week break and was 3 weeks broody prior to that I just think I have a hen which is destined to be broody forever.

 

She sounds like she's broody. Sure signs are not wanting to leave the nestbox, puffing herself up, making very strange grunting and squeaking noises, hens also sometimes try to peck you if you try to move them.

 

You could try a broody pen or sitting on ice blocks - it might work.

[Snowy]

Hi Helly, my crested has been behaving a bit like this, although at least she is still laying. Every now and again she gives up for a couple of days and I catch her on the nest. She's fluffed up and squarked at me, but been turfed off. She's very half hearted about it all as she's usually back to normal again next day. My other blue layer has given up completely, but at least she is not showing any signs of broodiness.

[Helen&Lee]

Sounds like a broody to me.

 

I've had a broody free week now - the first since March!

 

I spent a week filling the nest box with ice blocks (lucky I have an obssession for buying ice packs whenever I see them )

But I think what really cracked it was filling the nesting box with large flower pots at night.

 

Helen

[Helly Welly]

I'll give the ice packs and flowerpots a go, thanks for the tips. I should have realised she was broody ages ago, lets hope i can still snap her out of it. I'd dunk her in a bucket if i had any hope of catching her.

[HENthusiastic]

HI!

MY Henrietta is broody at the moment! She was broody for about a month... despite ice packs and dips in cold water............ about 2 weeks off and now shes broody again!