Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[MummyHen]

I think Daisy (she’s my avatar) is broody - can someone more knowledgeable about chickens let me know if my assumption is correct.

Hubby noticed yesterday pm that we were one hen down and on investigation found her sitting on the nest. I'd seen her there mid morning but thought she was just laying. She was still there at 4 and each time I opened the pop hole she kicked up a right stink, squawking, hollering and was not happy about being moved off the nest. I did check her over; other than a bare breast (there were more feathers than normal in the nest) and her being a little hot she seemed fine and went off to fine the others and get some food and water.

Today she's the same - sitting on the nest. I've removed the four eggs from under her and booted her off the nest but has quickly returned.

 

Am I doing the right thing by moving her off the nest and keeping her way from the nest or should I leave her?

What else should I look out for?

[Ygerna]

Did you get her sorted?

 

She sounds as if she was/is broody. When I have a broody that I don't want to use for fertile eggs, I have a small dog crate which I put her in to keep her cool and away from eggs. There are some useful pages on the internet about 'breaking a broody' if you need some more help.

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

Yep, sounds like a broody.

 

We've had this problem with a couple of ours at times. If you get in quick re. keeping her off the nest then she can recover quite quickly.

 

In the cube we found it useful to put a large drip tray (for a plant pot) against the hole in the nest area to cover it and wedged it there with a foam garden kneeler by bracing this between the tray and the wall underthe egg port door. We kept that in place excapt for when the others were laying, day & night. We also locked ours out of the cube for the daytime after laying to prevent her getting into the roosting area to brood.

 

There will be a real fuss made 7 shell be noisy in protest but as we say, if this is done quickly it can reslove in less than a few days.

 

Hope this is helpful.

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

It does sound like you have a broody (or as we call them in Ireland "clocking") hen. It's good that you spotted the broodiness early. If you didn't notice her soon enough she would have gotten very thin. While a hen is broody she will neglect her own wellbeing. One of my Rhode Island Red hens is broody at the moment, and has been for the past two months. However she is a hybrid and hybrids are not known to go broody often or for very long.

You are doing the right thing by moving her off the nesting box, however in my case this didn't work at all. She was sitting in the nesting box again in a matter of minutes.

Today, I decided to stop this once and for all. I got a bucket of water (the colder the better) and dipped her backside into it. Make sure you keep her there for about 5 seconds. This freezing sensation overwhelms the broodiness. Then block off the nesting box she sits in. and will probably keep her off sitting on eggs for good! I know it sounds cruel, but it doesn't hurt the hen at all. If anything you are doing good. However you may have to repeat this daily until you are sure she has stopped.

Hope I helped!

 

Mr Rhode Island Red

[THF Nick]

One of ours has been broody for a few weeks now and when I read up on broody hens the advice is very mixed.

 

Some say to nip-it in the bed but the respected self-sufficiency guru John Seymour says that you should never stop a hen from going broody?

[coco]

One of my girls Coco was broody for 3 months, nothing could stop her she was so determined. She didn't seem to suffer any ill effects from it but I did chuck her out of the nestbox twice a day to make sure she was eating and drinking.