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[dgtierney]

Hi

 

We have a hen that has been broody for over 28 days (everything we read seems to say a 21 day limit). She shows all the classic signs as mentioned elsewhere - so we were quite sure she was broody.

 

We decided to just leave her to get on with it - rather than try any of the (cruel sounding) 'treatments' suggested. Every day we have made sure she has left the nest eaten and drunk at least once and removed any eggs while she was out but its been going on now for far longer than we expected - is there anything we should worry about?

[abwsco]

Some hens will just sit and sit and sit so they can lose condition and die. You should really try to snap her out of it by either dunking in cold water or putting her in a broody cage day and night for a while.

[Woodcat]

hey

 

If you don't want to try any of the others you could try just shutting her out of the house after they have laid. If you have to go out and can't do this then you could try building her an area in the run that she can go in that means she still in with her friends but unlike a broody cage she will be able to dig and have some things to do.

 

Another alternative is to kick her off the nest and put a couple of ice packs on it. That way she will have the ability to walk away any time she choses and will hopefully discourage her for hanging around on the nests.

 

 

I have major problems with my persistent broody simply because i can't use a broody cage because she has foot problems the mean standing on wire would hurt her alot and she has very few feathers and gets cold very easily.

 

 

I would try and break her of it because without actually getting chicks she will probably continue to brood until she gets ill.

[vikpow]

My youngest girl Poppy has been brody for nearly 2 weeks now I shut her out of the nestbox as soon as the others have laid but she just sits by the run all day! Ive also been dunking her in cold water every day but still no success.

[Scramble]

Don't worry, you can try methods to stop her being broody, but I just let mine get on with it.

I think the timing can vary quite drastically, one of mine was only broody for 3 weeks, the other 9 weeks....determined that one

 

As long as they are leaving the nest once a day to eat, drink and ,er, do their business...then she'll snap out of it naturally when she is ready.

 

There are methods like the broody cage, water dunking and just shutting her off the nest box.

 

Good Luck

[Snowy]

Please do double check her for mites if you plan on leaving her to it. When they lose condition they are an easy target for mites - especially at this time of year. I took on an unwanted broody a couple of months ago, she had been allowed to sit. She was emaciated and anaemic and riddled with lice. Luckily she is fine now, but do please give her a dusting.

[CluckyBucks]

Some hens will just sit and sit and sit so they can lose condition and die. You should really try to snap her out of it by either dunking in cold water or putting her in a broody cage day and night for a while.

 

 

They can die from being broody ???

 

xx xx

[Woodcat]

 

They can die from being broody ???

 

xx xx

 

 

In extreme and unlucky cases they can. They lose condition and become much more suseptable to illness or mites which in turn can kill them particually red mites. However as your checking her every day so you will notice before it gets anywhere near that bad

 

Dying like that is extreme cases only

[GillC]

Hi

 

We have a hen that has been broody for over 28 days (everything we read seems to say a 21 day limit). She shows all the classic signs as mentioned elsewhere - so we were quite sure she was broody.

 

We decided to just leave her to get on with it

 

My Nutmeg seems to go broody about once a year. Last year was the first and we tried dunking her, shutting her out of the run but to be honest nothing much seemed to make any difference. It lasted minimum 2 months.

 

She's just finished this year's broodyness - seemed to last all summer just like last time. This time we didn't bother her - she seemed better at it than last time, coming out at least once a day to dustbath, eat and preen. She certainly looked very much better at the end than last time.

 

That's my only experience of broody hens. Neither of my other two have ever been broody (famous last words probably )

 

Anyway, as others have said, so long as you make sure she's coming out each day to eat and drink then probably OK. I wish I'd made a note of the start dates of both of the broodynesses. I know from memory that they lasted way longer than we're led to expect, but can't say for certain.

 

Good luck with it.

[Chucky Mama]

I had a broody for 5 months! I had to shoo her off the nest at regular intervals but she is not back to normal. She continued eating throughout however unlike some who obviously can make themselves unwell.

[Egluntyne]

If you don't intend to hatch from her then it would be in her best interests to be snapped out of it.

 

I'd follow the advice in Kate's excellent article on **Broody Hens** from the FAQ section.

 

I would give her a liberal dusting with diatom too.

[dgtierney]

Thanks for the advice and putting my mind at rest a little, knowing the 21 days is not an absolute limit.

 

Bella - the hen in question still seems quite well and we are lifting her of the nest a couple of times a day. We try to make sure she is out for at least an hour at a time and feed treats at the time we lift her so she might associate coming out with good things!

 

Magdalane is looking a little lonely and missing her sisters company though - perhaps the third hen we were planning on before this started is still the way to go.

[fluffyknickers]

My has been broody for a few weeks now and has regular cold water dunkings (not cruel as she doesnt fight it nor make a noise) and also when the two have laid I get her out and shut the nest however as soon as its open as its bedtime she is usually waiting on the steps to go in.

 

Today I cleaned out the run and cube and had it all open and she even went round the back to it and managed to somehow jump ON TOP of the cube from the ground in her deperation to get in.

 

Next step is the broody cage which I am just sorting out.

 

Not cruel but a neccesity to make her happy again and stay well.

 

michelle