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

[Troy]

Hi all

 

Can anyone help me with this?

 

Molly our Pekin has been VERY broody coming up to a week now. We have 7 other birds all laying and all share the Cube.

I've been taking Mo out of the house around 6.00am and puting her into a dog crate in the run (on bricks) with of course food water etc Shes been stressing the other girls because she wont get out of the nesting box and has been causing all sorts of chaos. All free range all day so as soon as the girls lay, Molly is let out of the crate and allowed to free range with them. I keep the pop hole shut and she seems ok wandering around etc but the problem is she absolutely refuses to eat or drink whilst in the crate and is not eating much during the day now. This evening her crop was as flat as a pancake and she looks off/pale. I have managed to feed her some wet mash with mealworms tonight but surely she cant go on like this. When shes free ranging she is still keen to see me coming down the garden with corn/worms and always hops along with the others, but then she heads back to the Cube and tries constantly to fly up to the shut door.

 

Any other suggestions to snap her out of this?? I'm at a loss and to lose Molly would be heartbreaking. She is the last of our original Pekins and as gentle as a ball of wool.

 

Pls help????

Troy

[Egluntyne]

I would keep her in the crate all day for at least three days.

 

With food and plenty of water, she will come to her senses .

 

In this hot weather I would put the crate in a shady spot.....up on bricks so that the cooling breezes caress her nether regions.

[Troy]

Hi Egluntine

 

Very long time no speak. See you are a moderator now. I've always thought you were THE walking Chicken Bible

 

All day, do you mean all day and night? Or should I put her in the Cube with the others at night and take her out 1st thing? The nest box is cardboarded up at night so she cant get in.

 

Fed her this morning and is in crate sulking at moment.

 

Troy

[Egluntyne]

You'll have me blushing.

 

Yes...all day and all night.

 

To make her safe from predators, it might be a good idea to put the crate, with her still in it inside the cube run, or even a garage or shed, still up on bricks, at night.

[Christian]

Hello Troy, sorry to hear you have a broody hen at the moment

 

I am away with work, but have been informed that Cornelia my Barnvelder is clamped on the nest and won't budge

 

Try feeding Molly some tinned sweetcorn. It will at least give her vital fluids until she snaps out of it. Dripping water onto the top of chickens beaks often encourages them to drink too.

 

Good luck!

[Troy]

Hi Christian...again long time since I've been on the forum but very glad to see the 'oldies' are still there.

 

Okay I'm now feeding Molly - mash, corn and meal worms all mixed up in water - I swear I'm beginning to see those horrible things move, yuk.

Thanks for clearing that up for me re the crate Egluntine. Hopefully it wont be long before she comes back to her senses.

 

Good luck with your Barnevelder Christian! - What lovely, lovely broody chooks we have!Troy