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Kylie1007

Broody Coops

By Kylie1007, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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Kylie1007 Chicken Eggspert

Kylie1007

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Hello! I haven't posted for a long time because my girls are generally as good as gold and don't cause me any problems but I have TWO broody chickens - my silkie is on her 3rd session this year and my buff orpington is on a marathon session which has lasted about 5 weeks now and shows no signs of letting up! So I was thinking about a broody coop rather than a dunking! Can anyone give me info on them - will any old wire crate (like a dog crate) do? Do I leave them outside in it? My poor Henrietta thinks that her sisters have abandoned her :doh:

Thanks!

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Old Hazel Chicken Eggspert

Old Hazel

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Hi

We didn't understand what had got into Carmen, our Araucana, but then tonight we suddenly realised she was broody. She has pecked off a lot of her own breast feathers and is really moody! She was bok-bok-bokking very deep and growly too.

 

We've got an Ikea shoe rack and have built a pen around it with sections of Cube run. She has a glug and grub in there. I've read on here that we should leave her in for 72 hours.

 

How do you know if they have snapped out of it? She's a wily bird and may try to fool us. :? We're going on holiday on Friday night and wouldn't like to leave the neighbours a broody hen to deal with!

 

Hazel

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JanTheDiver Frequent Layer

JanTheDiver

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I use a small dog crate put on top of three bricks so the air circulates around their body. She has access to water and food but nothing else - no comforts and no treats. She is left in their day and night for three nights, in the main cube run which has tarpaulin over the top and a shade on the side so that she is not in full sunlight.

 

This seems cruel but it does work; I hated it the first time I had to do it and it was the longest three nights I know :!:

 

Believe me after this they can't wait to get out and my chooks are never been broody when they come out :lol:

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Old Hazel Chicken Eggspert

Old Hazel

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I just got home from work and let all the chooks out except poor Carmen who is locked in her cage. She didn't seem to believe it when the run just emptied and all the others ran off. I felt terrible.

 

I had sprinkled a few spinach leaves in her cage this morning when I gave the others some but most are still there tonight. I can't tell if she's eaten anything today.

 

Tonight will be her second night in the cage and so outside the coop. Last night was very windy and rainy here and I kept waking up and feeling so guilty! I imagined her getting wet and cold - but she was warm and dry this morning and was screaming her head off - I guess she is pretty angry at me. :(

 

We'll let her out on Thursday but go on holiday on Friday evening. All I can do is warn the neighbour that she may have to deal with a broody!

 

Is there a season for broodiness? Lots of people on here seem to be mentioning chooks getting broody right now!

 

Hazel

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Heidi-Hi Frequent Layer

Heidi-Hi

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My dog cage came today. Both Bella and Chocolate (silkies) are in. They have settled for the night now. They don't actually seem that uncomfortable. It is up on bricks, so the air is flowing around them. If they are settled on the wire floor, does that mean it is not going to work? I sort of got the idea that they were suppose to not be able to settle down... Am I doing it wrong?

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Old Hazel Chicken Eggspert

Old Hazel

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Touch wood - the broody box worked. We released poor Carmen this morning, 3 nights and not quite 3 days after she was locked up. We let all the girls out for a free range together and I've never seen a chicken move so fast to get out in the garden.

 

I put out some mash porridge which is one of their favourites and Carmen has now been out for quite a few hours, mooching about, finding slugs, generally behaving in a non-broody way.

 

Phew - I think she may have snapped out of it! Thanks to everyone's advice on here. :clap:

 

Hazel

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