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

[EMB2U]

Hi, anybody have any ideas ?

Coco is sitting down in the middle of her pen, she only gets up for food and doesnt seem to have layed any eggs for a couple of days, she did go in the nesting box for 20 mins but nothing and now back to her space in the middle of the pen. She seems to be eating ok, is she sunbathing or broody ?

[chelsea]

a broody tends to stay on the nest all the time and will not budge. Signs of broodiness - puffing up feathers , sitting like a pancake, grunting and weird shrieking noises, and if you approach a broody hen she usually "puffs up" and goes to peck you.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum . If she's sunbathing she'd probably stick her wings out and go into weird poses that look like she's had a stroke . If's she's broody, she may try to peck you and grumble at you if you try to pick her up or move her. She'll also fluff up her feathers and look like a big feathery pancake .

 

Either of these sound right?

 

Oops, cross-posted with Chelsea .

[EMB2U]

Hi again,

 

thanks for the replies

she seems plumped up , dont think she is sunbathing as she is sitting in the shady part now !! maybe she is broody, do i just leave her alone ?

 

Emma

[Ain't Nobody Here]

A broody hen can be a pain. They'll hog the nestbox so the others can't get in and more seriously, they won't eat properly and can lose condition if they stay broody for weeks.

 

As soon as I see signs of broodiness I put mine in a puppy crate and it seems to snap them out of it. It does seem quite mean but it really is being cruel to be kind. You have to make sure they have food and water obviously and raise the crate off the ground to let the air circulate round their nether regions. Their temperature raises a bit so you're trying to lower it back down.

 

If you can't do that, just turf her off the nestbox/hole in the ground as often as you can. You can also dunk her bum in a bucket of water to lower her temperature too. If you know everyone's laid, you can put a brick or an icepack wrapped in something in the nestbox to make it uncomfortable.

 

This is my puppy crate which I got from Ebay.

[EMB2U]

What a good idea !! well this afternoon she has started getting up and pecking around and is more active than the last few days so maybe she is feeling better. Your hen pen looks brilliant - did you make it yourself ? thanks for the advice

 

emma

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thank you . I got it from Aviaries4u. I'd like to say I built it single-handedly but actually my best friend's OH did all the hard work . I just did the interior design .