Tara.F Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Our little wyandotte is currently sitting on eggs. She is a most determined little mummy and is not getting off the nest even to drink or to poo. She will accept a little corn from my hand and that is all Yesterday, after three days without drinking or defecating, she was lifted from the nest and put outside. She was terribly upset. She did a huge poo (that took a great deal of straining) it was nearly double the size of one of her eggs and she still would not drink anything but ran around crying and headbutting walls until we put her back in her nest! Today is day four and I don't want to keep upsetting her....turning her off the nest and generally interfering. I accept that she's better at this than I am....still, I love her and I'm worried about her health. advice please anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 A normal broody hen will come off the nest for about 20 minutes once a day, when she will eat a little, drink and defecate. It must be distressing to see her so upset, but she HAS to drink and eat daily. A hen can dehydrate very quickly and it can kill them. Shut her out of the broody coop at the same time each day if possible. They're better with routine than randomness. Be firm, make sure she drinks and eats. If necessary, get her to take food and water from you and if she absolutely won't take anything, syringe a little water into her beak. Keep her off the nest for the same amount of time each day, and try to keep her calm - talk to her all the time. She'll soon learn the routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 You must boot her off the nest daily. She might object, but it is in her best interests in the long run. Perhaps a dish of water placed where she can reach it whilst sitting will encourage her to drink more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 thanks, I will evict her again then There is water within reach from the nest....but it's not going down at all. And when I turf her off she won't go anywhere near the water either. So, I guess I'm off to the chemist tomorrow to buy a syringe. Anyone know how much water a chicken needs each day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 This is all excellent and very well timed advice for me. We put eggs under our broody today and I've been wondering about the whole eating, drinking and pooing issue. She's been broody since last weekend, and has been entrenched in the Eglu for the last two days. I've constructed my very own Eglu for her to incubate the eggs, which is at the other end of the WIR so we can erect a separating fence prior to hatching. She wasn't very keen on moving nesting quarters initially, but seems to have settled to the task tonight, and was sat fluffed up on the eggs when I checked at 9:00pm (one had rolled out when I checked, but I've tucked it back under her). So, the waiting starts....... Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Wow! How clever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 She's a determined little mummy, isn't she? She'll need booting off (as the others have said) a couple of times a day to make sure that she feeds and eliminates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 My broody was like yours, but I did as advised and chucked her off at a regular time for exactly 20 minutes. She learned really quickly that it was okay and that she did get let back in. She even seemed to know when 20 minutes was up, as she would relax, eat, drink, poo and then after about 20 mins she would wait at the door to be let back! I read somewhere recently (cant remember where) that if you take a broody and drop her from a couple of feet a few times in a row that will encourage her to poo . I recon it will come out by itself when it needs too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I think we had a thread on water recently but no-one was certain. 5-10 mls several times a day should be sufficient. If she starts to get very dehydrated her wattles and comb will look shrivelled and dry, so you'll get an indication that she needs more. Can you put a little dish of water in with her and drop a raisin or something yummy in to see if that will encourage her to dabble and drink? Bless her, she's very determined!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Can you put a little dish of water in with her and drop a raisin or something yummy in to see if that will encourage her to dabble and drink? Bless her, she's very determined!! thanks for this great tip...it's worked! we've been chucking her out for a bit each day (though we work irregular hours so haven't been able to make the same time each day) and she will eat and poop one way or another. today I filled an egg cup half way with water then topped it up with corn and chopped tomatoes and put it right under her 'nose'. came back five minutes later and it was empty I repeated the whole thing an hour later (this time with a chopped grape) five minutes later....all gone So thank you so much for your help....this is so much nicer than syringing and upset Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Day 3 - We couldn't quite bring ourselves to turf our broody off today, it's so wet and chilly outside, that we've left her to it today. She's not completely motionless, as she was sitting facing into the box earlier today, and just now she's facing out. She's also drinking and feeding from the little cat tray in the broody-box, so hopefully she'll choose the right moment to get up and have a poo outside! Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Awww, bless her! You might want to swap the straw for something less tangly for the chicks - they'll get all caught up in that. I've used a deep bed of Aubiose - clean and easy for them to scramble though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Thanks Claret. Yes, I have a brand new bale of Aubiose ready for once they have hatched. Our girls seem to like straw nests, which is why we started her off with that in the broody box. I wanted it to be as much like the Eglu nest-box as possible so she would settle quickly to the new environment, which seems to have worked. There's already a bed of wood shavings under the straw, so whipping out the straw and adding a good layer of Aubiose should be straightforward. Thinking about it, would you advocate removing the straw just before hatch day? Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I would, they can get lost in the straw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Can you put a little dish of water in with her and drop a raisin or something yummy in to see if that will encourage her to dabble and drink? Bless her, she's very determined!! thanks for this great tip...it's worked! we've been chucking her out for a bit each day (though we work irregular hours so haven't been able to make the same time each day) and she will eat and poop one way or another. today I filled an egg cup half way with water then topped it up with corn and chopped tomatoes and put it right under her 'nose'. came back five minutes later and it was empty I repeated the whole thing an hour later (this time with a chopped grape) five minutes later....all gone So thank you so much for your help....this is so much nicer than syringing and upset Great to hear it worked, I for one am breathing a sigh of relief!! As you say, much better than trying to syringe water or food down a broody!! Not a great prospect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
