Wendy Heather Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I found this on the review site of Miss Pepperpot: Can't believe I have the same breed of chicken as other reviewers - Philip, 08 August 2011 We have 2x chickens. One Miss Pepperpot (one star) and one Gingernut ranger (five stars). Miss Pepperpot is unfriendly, impossible to catch, eats more, lays smaller eggs less frequently and has gone broody after only 3 months. It did not respond to any of the tips for broody hens on the Omlet site including multiple dunks in a bucket of water. The Gingernut ranger lays great eggs like clockwork and can easily be caught and cuddled by the children. I will have Gingernut rangers in future. Does anyone REALLY keep dunking their poor chicken into a bucket of water?????? I'm not surprised this poor girl doesn't want cuddles - I bet she's gone broody to get away from this dreadful family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 It's actually a recommended way to shake broodiness. You don't fully submerse the hen, just dunk her in it legs first, the idea is to bring her body temperature down to stop her being hormonal and broody. One could also keep her in a broody cage, so that she broke her broody streak. It's not 'cruelty' - if a hen is persistently broody their condition will suffer, they go without food and water and glue themselves to the nest, causing stress to other chooks who wish to lay, and causing her health to suffer if not dealt with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I agree, its a standard approach to deal with broodiness. You'd hate me, I stick my broodies in a small cage for 3 days and 3 nights with only access to food and water However, I can categorically confirm that they all forgive me when they snap out of the broodiness and go back to liking cuddles with their Mum again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I have to agree with the others, I guess people could let the hen be broody but they lose so much condition and are a sitting target for parasites I dont use the dunking method although I know lots of people do as it does cool down the hens underside rapidly, most hens will be broody in the spring and summer months so this is less barbaric than it sounds as they will dry off quickly. Not to be attempted on a cool day or too late in the day though or the hen could get too chilled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Heather Posted September 16, 2011 Author Share Posted September 16, 2011 Sorry, I still don't like the idea. there are other ways to deal with broody hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Sorry, I still don't like the idea. there are other ways to deal with broody hens. Of course there are other ways, but if they don't work, then the bucket of water trick might, and if you've got the opportunity to snap a hen out of broodiness, it's in her best interests if you do. I don't think it makes the family 'dreadful' either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Sorry, I still don't like the idea. there are other ways to deal with broody hens. Fair enough. I prefer the broody cage option myself. I find it always works. However, I agree that using a mainstream method such as 'dunking' does not make the person who owns the hen 'dreadful', especially when they are acting in the hens best interests. A broody hen with no prospect of hatching can very quickly lose condition, become thin and anaemic and a magnet for redmite. Leaving a hen to such a fate would be far worse than a quip dip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I've never dunked mine I just use a broody cage. I had no idea that particular breeds had to conform to a 'job description' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 It is strange to think of hens as 'products' requiring a 5 star rating and a review, but I guess the omlet shopfront doesn't discriminaye between products. I wonder what reviews people would get if we started having to rate the species based on the individuals we experience contact with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 My pepperpot was similar, but I wouldn't have had her any other way. The thing that I noticed about them is how well they complement gingernuts, in that the pepperpot is often the tough little cookie and can often want to do her own thing but the gingernut can benefit from having a pepperpot around; gingernuts, as well as being very friendly and curious hens can often be a little needy. I'd have one of either again any day. In terms of cooling broodies, luckily my gingernut and pepperpot never went broody, but I now have a sussex bantam who goes broody every few weeks. I use the cage on her (and it gives the other girls some respite from the constant clucking she does when broody). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I have had two pepperpots in my chicken keeping time I loved them both real characters faithful layers both friendly as with everything in life all chickens have individual personalities they can't and don't read reviews thank goodness that for me is the joy of chicken keeping As for broodies Everyone has there own opinions and prefered method of snapping them out of it again I think it's each to there own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 My Pepperpot used to go semi broody a couple of times a year, and I used the dunk method. A couple of dunks a day to cool her legs for 1 or 2 days snapped her out of it completely. Saved having to put her in a broody cage for a few days, which she didn't need, and after each dunk she would scratch around the garden happily enough. As soon as she started heading to the nest box again, she would get a fresh dunk. As others have said, this has always been the warmer summer months, and she dries out quick enough. I also wouldn't do it last thing at night - i.e. I make sure she goes to bed dry - with a plant pot in the nest box to force her to roost! Don't think this is cruel at all. Much worse to leave them to it so they become a victim of parasites and half starve themselves for no reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I have no personal experience of but a friend had one till Mr Fox came a calling and she apparently wasnt very friendly. That being the case I got 3 - having said that only one of those was friendly the other 2 would be grabbed under sufferance and sat there with a look that said "better indulge her" - I have another now and shes a cuddlebum - we've had her 2 weeks and OH cant get enough of her. I tried the dunking method with one of mine and it worked - really havent got space for broody cage but would use cat box if push came to shove. Lets face it we do things to our animals for their own good. We clean our cats teeth - one loves it the other hates it - helps prevent kidney disease - thats far worse than a quick scrub with the fish flavoured toothpaste Its for her own good at the end of the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reneepren Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 The only thing that worked for my broody was to put frozen gallon jugs of water in nest box every night for several nights completely blocking it. By the time I got her to snap out of it she was very run down, and she died at only a little over a year of age. Very sad. Renee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
