Sooo much pooping

[Gelbel]

Madge has gone full on broody (least it's shut her continual shatter up for a while ). From the sounds from the DH last night, if I get her a cage he will go mad - he is beginning to think I care more for them than him.

 

I've segregated her off in a small section of the WIR. If I can stop her escaping from here - three times today already - will that be OK to help snap her out of it? I am not going to do the bum to water 'cure' as I think it's too cruel. I do have a supermarket shopping basket but it's too small for her so unless I get a cage I have no other option. Do you think this is OK?

 

Thanks in advance.

[The Dogmother]

I'd see if you can get a wire pet carrier from Freecycle or friends. I have a spare one if you're near Oxon and want to borrow it.

 

Instructions here

[Roobaloo]

I just shut my broody out the eglu to try and stop her...

 

 

...5 weeks later, I fenced her in a section of the WIR, on a rabbit run panel propped up on tinned dog food. She gave up in 48hrs!!

 

Any mesh panel will do, you need to get the air flow under her...when my broody couldn't get in the nestbox, she would 'nest' on the table in front of the eglu.

[Gelbel]

Thanks for the offer Claret - but from Roobaloo's answer, so long as I can keep her sectioned off in the WIR, I'll go with that option. The little madam has wriggled through a space I can't even get my fist through. So let me get out there and batten down the hatches.

[Jools]

It depends just how broody she is as to how long it will take. I don't often resort to confining mine to a broody cage (aka former dog cage that now quadruples as broody cage / hospital cage / brooding cage!!) as I can usually sort them out by doing precisely what you've done by shutting them out of the house. It just takes a little longer sometimes - and can be very noisey.

[ShredderX]

Hi All,

 

One of my hens (Columbian Blacktail) has been broody for way over 21 days. I've tried locking her out of the nesting box, but she''ll spend days and days trying to gain access. Also, I've tried the water plunges etc but nothing seems to work.

Is my only option a broody cage, or will she just carry on with her broodiness regardless of whether there are eggs to sit on or not. I want my hen and eggs back. Thanks, Alex.

[The Dogmother]

The broody cage is the only reliable option that I've found. I give them a few days rest from laying , then pop them in it. My grandfolks used to have a wooden one that they hung from an apple tree in the shade.

[Jools]

She will eventually give up, but 21 days is a long time to be broody without purpose. I'd definitely go the broody cage route in your case, for her own good.

[Jools]

The broody cage is the only reliable option that I've found. I give them a few days rest from laying , then pop them in it. My grandfolks used to have a wooden one that they hung from an apple tree in the shade.

 

Unless I want a broody, I turf them out as soon as they try to sit so they don't really get the chance to hit "the zone" and I rarely need to resort to a cage. They don't come back into lay straight away so they get their rest from laying anyway.

[Gelbel]

I can't believe how quiet she is being - compaired to her usual 'mouthy' self that is. Even the DH has noticed and commented on it. But we are loving her broody noises and she's even more placid that usual.

 

Looks like I have plugged the escape routes too.

[The Dogmother]

Try not to give her any corn either - it'll only make her hotter.

[Gelbel]

Claret - is that corn as in mixed corn from a sack or corn on the cob? Or both? If it's corn on the cob guess what I'm having for tea tonight? Mind you, the little minxes currently think a cob is some massive, fire-breathing-chook-eating monster and won't go within 3' of it.

[The Dogmother]

Both. Corn is a great treat in the winter to keep them warmer at night, but it's very fattening.