beach chick Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Oh I do feel mean at the moment!! they are on Flubenvet, mixed in with their pellets, since yesterday. they are very dubious, so I have banned all treats til they eat their pellets up - a bit of a battle of wills is going on at the moment!! and Muffin is broody, so she is now set up in the dog crate with nothing but water... poor girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muvver hen Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I was in the same position a few weeks ago,you feel awful!But you've got to be cruel to be kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judith67 Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I'm a mean mummy too. Last month it was the cat crate for broody Lucy, and now this week after 2 softies 2 day's running, no treats for a couple of days, pellets only. WE are all very nasty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Could I just say that I don't think you have to starve a broody hen? Hopefully someone else will be along to correct me if I'm wrong, but they must eat! Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I found half a small grape dipped in flubenvet and fed by hand to each chicken daily for a week went down very easily with no battles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I'm a meany too plus coz I'm working away from home this week my DH is in charge and he's not about much during the day so I don't hear their pleading. Still he tells me that its working as one of our girls has perked up a bit since their medication was started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Could I just say that I don't think you have to starve a broody hen? Hopefully someone else will be along to correct me if I'm wrong, but they must eat! Mrs B It's very true she needs to eat and I'm afraid a silkie will always be going broody, it's natural for them. She will need food and to be honest with moult, daylight hours reduced etc this is a natrual slow down period anyway so I'd let her snap out of naturally. The cold weather will most likely do it anyway. Buffie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I found half a small grape dipped in flubenvet and fed by hand to each chicken daily for a week went down very easily with no battles! Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 They do need both food and water while they are in the broody cage Hon.... a starved chicken will soon die As Buffie has said, silkies are natural brooders - it is one of their traits and the main reason why some people keep them.... to hatch eggs and rear chicks. It's autumn now and she's unlikely to stay broody for long as the weather gets colder. I'd put her in the broody cage (with food and water) for 3 days 24/7, then let her out. If she's still broody, then let her get on with it. I'm afraid that it's just something that silkies do; if you're not happy with it then perhaps you have a friend who would like to borrow her for hatching in the spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 16, 2008 Author Share Posted October 16, 2008 right, I'll feed her now then. sorry, I thought I'd read on here to starve a broody.... it's not that I MIND her being broody, but that I didnt think it was good for them if you werent going to go the whole hog - which I'm certainly not, not at this time of year and not before I get ready for it anyway! the other reason I dont want her broody is that Meringue laid her egg on the bars today because Muffin wouldnt shift - 1 broken egg, but more importantly I dont want them to get the idea that they can lap up broken eggs! off now to find a little dish for her Flubenvet-ed pellets (sure she'll turn her beak up, but its for her own good!!) thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 If they won't eat the pellets with Flubenvet in them, then make it into porridge with some water and other goodies. If she persists in being broody (which she is likely to do) then you might want to think about getting some alternative housing for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Me too. I didn't give them breakfast the other day (pellets were available) because they ran out and didn't eat it, but followed me in the hope of goodies. I gave them brekkers in the afternoon instead. They ate all their breakfast next morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 well, to update: Muffin spent 4 hours in the broody cage yesterday with nothing but water. I didnt want to leave her in there overnight, because it was really cold here, so I let her out to eat and she went to bed as normal. today she is like the proverbial spring chicken, running around with the others and I think has just gone off to lay. I am confused about the advice on whether to starve or not starve though... I'm quite sure I've read on here that you should just make sure they have water. but I'd rather give them pellets as well because it seems so mean not to. so in future when I have to incarcerate a broody I will do food AND water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 As has been confirmed before, a broody will need to have food and water when she is in the broody cage. 3 days in there without food and you'd have a dead hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 When I'm giving my girlies fluvenbet, I either mix it with pellets and hot water to make porridge so they think they are getting a treat and eat it up quickly, or I halve cherry tomatoes and put a tiny amount on and feed them those over several days (bit like grapes but my girls have a cherry tomato fetish!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
