sage Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I have a young hen who I think is broody (never had a broody hen before).Last weekend she started to spends 4-5 hours on the nest and if one of the other girls go to lay she follows and sits on thier eggs. If I try to remove eggs she fluffs up into a big ball of feathers and hisses at me and she has plucked all her chest feathers out. But she is still laying. As I understand it when they go broody they stop . Anyone any ideas please Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonH Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 One of mine did this for a bit and you need to sort it so that she doesn't stop laying and refuses to move. I used to shift her off as soon as she lays - the end of a brush works well!- and then remove the eggs pronto. After that she didn't return to them. I also let her out to FR more to take her mind off it. There is lots of advice such as removing to a cooler cage etc but fortunately I persuaded her out of it without having to resort to move drastic measures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavysqueak Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I once had a chicken with the same issue and I currently have a chicken who is starting down this route! I found that a combination of a few things worked. First try taking her off the nest once she's laid - I put up with getting pecked in the process! Don't let her back on the nest - keep taking her off if she goes back on. If that doesn't work I combine this with taking her out and sitting her on my knee with a hot water bottle under her belly for as long as she will sit. I'm not sure why it worked - everyone else seems to want to lower their temperature, not raise it, but it seemed to work! As an aside I put petroleum jelly on the bare belly. It acts as a barrier to stop the tummy skin getting red and sore. It also stops the chicken being able to pull out the feathers - perhaps because they're greasy?!?! I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Many thanks for the replys. Managing to remove eggs as they arrive. She isn't too bad the last few days as she has been laying after 4pm so at least she has been out & about and I have been home so they have had the run of the garden. She is one hell of a grumpy girl when on the throne I have had to resort to thick gardening gloves to remove her eggs or she will have my hand off. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
