Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[bbehr27]

I know Orpington's can be broody but I just can't believe how long two of my girls have been hogging the nesting boxes. It must be nearly four weeks now! I don't mind them being broody but wondered if me lifting them off the nest and encouraging them to eat and drink is prolonging their sit in.? Anyone any thoughts?

[Redwing]

If they continue to have access to the nest box that will prolong things - its worth sin binning them to try and break them

[bbehr27]

I close the run to stop them getting back in but they just huddle together and sit by the door! I'll try to be firmer tomorrow and not let them back in. I did today as it started to rain and they just sat there getting soaking instead of hiding under the trees with the others. Thank you.

[Plum]

My wyandotte has been on 2nd spell of broodiness. First time I let it run its course because she was eating and drinking ok but this time I kept her out of the cube in day and filled the nestbox at night with clutter which has worked in couple of days. I had to lock the others in to lay when they wanted it so would only work when I am around.

 

The other way is a dog crate or similar raised on bricks for 3 days but I've not tried it............yet!

[cooker]

A word of warning with broody hen anti dotes....last year I heard about dunking your broody in a bowl of cool water to reduce her temperature. We did it last year when soup got broody, we had tried everything else (locking her out, moving the eggs pronto etc) but nothing else had worked, dunking worked striaght away!. So this year...she has been broody for about 4 weeks now, we contemplated getting fertilised eggs/day old chicks for a few weeks so let her sit, now we have decided against that it is time to try and snap her out of it...I tried the dunking yesterday, we did 4 dunkings throughout the course of the day, my partener did the last one and came in telling me she sounded raspy when she was breathing (goodness knows why he still dunked her!!?) shes no better today, she sounds a bit like darth vader!AND shes still broody.

 

I feel terrible that we've made her ill, Ive put citrocidal in their water today but soup, being broody, isnt out and about and eating/drinking very much.

 

thats the lst time I will be interfering with mother nature! if she wants to sit, Im going to let her sit!

 

Rachel

[Henhathnofury]

I have two broody Croad Langshan. There is a wire fence around their coop during the day. The other two girls quite happily lay their eggs in the Eglu - the Croad are not interested in going in there. I find, like children, they respond to distraction. So I cuddle them, put them out on the grass and put bits of sweetcorn in water so that they drink. For a while, they dustbathe, scratch around and actually eat something. My biggest worry is that left their own devices, they don't eat or drink. They don't even POO! It is really is obsessive mother love.

 

Broody girls will lose condition if left to their own devices....

[cooker]

Sorry henhathnofury, you are right! I just feel eaten up with guilt today for making soup ill, I wish I had just let her do her own thing. I have been getting her out of the nest box 3/4 times each day and she has been eating and drinking for a bit whilst shes been out. Now everyone has laid I have shut the nest box, but I wont be putting her anywhere near water again!

 

Rachel

[Egluntyne]

The quickest and most effective way to snap them out of broodiness is to use a broody cage. It isn't in the hen's best interests to leave them to brood for weeks on end as a rule, as they lose condition and become a magnet for redmite.

[bbehr27]

Definitely need to be firm. I locked the broody girls out today whilst the good girls layed their eggs. Then let them all out together whilst grumpy hubby and I felled trees in the rain! Thought they were snapping out of it but as soon as I opened up they were straight back in. You're right Egluntyne they are losing their condition, wattles going pale and floppy, feathers dull etc. So have deceided will spend rest of half term keeping broodies out of nest boxes.

Q?Where do the red mites come from if they're left to brood?

[beach chick]

broody coop, broody coop, broody coop!

Fairy has been in ours since Saturday lunchtime, so planning to try letting her out tomorrow lunchtime. I have previously softened too quickly - 48 hours in - and not really cracked it, but my heart is hardened.