3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Luvachicken]

Melody had been sitting in the egg box for the last few days.

I have caught her with an egg under her warm fluffy feathers on one of the days.

Then she was hatching no egg so I turfed her out twice only to find she actually wanted to lay an egg.

Today when I got in from work she was already warming one egg, so I sneaked it from under her and turfed her out again. Then later all 3 were missing and I looked in the egg port and there they all were - not sure what they were doing .

I turfed all 3 out only for Phoebe and Melody to go back up again. I left it for a bit and then went to see what was going on. Melody already had an egg under her so I took it out. And then Phoebe must have literally popped one out as I was stood there only for Melody to sneak her beak under and try and pop it under her tummy.

Needless to say I got it first .

 

Do I have my first broody ?

And can I break her of the habit just by removing the eggs ?

I don't have space for a broody cage and don't fancy dunking her in any water.

[scubababe]

Just thought I'd share an earlier post about broody hens

 

Why do you put broody chooks in a dog crate?

 

You can raise the dog crate on bricks to allow air flow underneath it - that cools the underside of the hen and snaps them out of the broodiness, usually in 3 days or so. If you leave them to it, they'll spend 3 or 4 weeks hardly moving and trying to hatch anything they can sit on (eggs, empty nest box, patch of ground, flower pot, whatever...) and in the meantime will not take care of themselves - hardly eating, drinking, grooming, or dust bathing.

 

It might sound cruel but the truth is when they're broody they don't actually move anyway (just try moving a broody hen to see what I mean!), so it's best to end it in a few days rather than 3 weeks! So long as they have food & water they'll be fine, and back to normal soon enough.

[fluffy chick]

Yup, sounds like it. As an owner of pekins, cochin, orpingtons and silkies I can say I am a broody expert! I've tried the dog crate lots of times, not always successfully though I've given up this time and got some eggs

[scubababe]

This link was from an older post http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=84607&start=15

 

Hope this helps.

[Luvachicken]

This link was from an older post http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=84607&start=15

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you, I have read that.

 

I think she is definitely broody.

After I'd got the 3 eggs, I shut the bedroom door and she was quite persistent at trying to get in.

 

Then just now,I just tucked them up for the night and there she was tucked up fast asleep in the nest box.

So I turfed her out yet again and hope she stays with the other 2 tonight.

 

If I put her in a dog crate, where do I put it - other than on bricks.

Do I put the dog crate in the chicken area so she is shut in by herself but can still see the others ?

And what happens to her at night time ?

 

Thanks for any advice xx

[scubababe]

The advice is that if possible to keep her within the coop so that she can see/can be seen by the others and yes leave her there 24/7. Make sure she's got food & water and just let her cool down

[Luvachicken]

Could I use one of those wire cat boxes ?

I saw one going cheap at the vets I go to, last time I went.

I think our dog crate is too big to fit in the run and be safe at night.

 

Today we were out all day, so I imagine she was in there all day but I took the 2 eggs I saw when we got back, and shook the meal worms and she came running.

Tomorrow I will start again.............and pehaps go shopping

[scubababe]

Yep. The wire cat box would do the trick as well. I think I am right in saying that someone else on here uses one too. Good luck with breaking the broodiness.

 

I know when I've had broodies the verbal abuse you get when you remove them is unbelievable

[LolaLayla]

I had to get a small dog crate for my broody girls (silkies). I have come to the conclusion a lot depends on the individual chicken. Trixie was my first to go broody and I kept removing her from the nest but she would zoom back round and into it. If I shut the eglu door she would try to look in through the holes and then flop down outside (the run is quite dark). Eventually I had to use the cage and even after 3 days she still had the notion that the nest box was where she should be, although nowhere as determined. However slowly she seems to get less interested. When Estelle went broody she was different. After 3 days in the cage she had no notion to sit on the nest at all. Trixie has had another spell in the cage recently and again she still has not totally got the broody notion out her head and does sit on eggs for a while if given the chance. At times when the girls are wandering about it's as if she gets that "Oh no I think I have left the iron on at home" moment when she stops thinks and rushes back to the eglu

[Luvachicken]

Thanks scubababe and lolalayla.

I will ring the vets and see if they still have the cat box, if not I will go and buy a little dog crate.

And then hubby will say more money.......

[Scary Mary]

I had my first broody last November. I couldn't do much as I was just out of hospital so popped ice packs in the nest box. I wrapped them up in old T towels, and put them under a loose covering of easy bed. Then I removed them at night and refroze them. I needed to cover the full length of the nest box, otherwise she just found a warmer bit to park herself.

 

The other girls laid quite normally in the refrigerated nest box - but it only took 2/3 days to sort Doris out, although she then moulted and did quite a disconcerting "oven ready" look.

 

I would use this method again, as it meant I did not have to remove Doris, as she is at the bottom of the pecking order and would be bullied on her return.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Dunking did the trick for me. Took only three baths.

It's not cruel. You just get nether regions wet and they go off to clean themselves clucking away like broodies do.

[Luvachicken]

Well, I'm starting to feel a bit guilty now. We have shut her in our dog's crate from the car.

She has done a lot of pacing up and down and is constantly looking for a way out.

The other 2 have layed their eggs and are busy playing. Can I let Melody out to play too and shut the entrance to the cube or does she really have to stay there for the next few days ?

 

Do I just cover up the crate with towels at night time ? I really don't want her to be waking up with the sunshine. Or do I bring her indoors, or can she sleep with the others ?

You can tell I've never had to deal with this before, and how long does she have to stay there for ?

[Old Speckled Hen]

Just dunk her and be done with it

[Luvachicken]

Just dunk her and be done with it

 

 

Awwwww.

 

I forgot to ask if broody hens still lay eggs ?

And what about her feet on the wire base all the time ?

Am I worrying too much ?

[LolaLayla]

I kept mine in the cage for the full 3 days and nights and did not let them out. The cage is not huge and she could move about a bit, eat and drink. She soon sat down and settled. There is a metal top to the cage as I turned it upside down but with Estelle I covered the cage at night to stop her shouting in the morning. I think she got spooked as I put the cage in the rabbits WIR (as the hens don't have one) and my rabbits got underneath it to try to get dropped food. The first morning she was in it we, and all the neighbours could hear her so we had to do something to stop the noise.

I did try the ice pack but it was no use in our situation. I believe silkies can be very determined

[Old Speckled Hen]

I think it's kinder than caging them, though her feet will be ok....don't worry about that.

Your Broody won't lay once she's sitting.

[Luvachicken]

We have tucked up the dog cage with a thick blanket, which hopefully won't let the sun in too much early in the morning.

I was a bit worried that a mouse might disturb her though from underneath.

There was much muttering when I put the blanket on as she saw the others going to bed, and I did feel quite sorry for her.

What is the reason she can't go in with the others at night time ? Is it so she stays cold ?

And another thing, how do I know if the 3 days are enough ? Will I spoil things by letting her out after the 3 days if I don't know she is ready.

Once she has finished being broody does she go straight back to laying eggs ?

 

After 3 years of having girlies, I thought I had the chicken lark sussed but now I'm not so sure.

Sorry for asking so many questions xx

[LolaLayla]

As far as I understand the idea is to cool her down so she should have ventilation under her at night too. I was told 3 days is the correct amount of time but as I mentioned Trixie still had a bit of a notion to go back to the nest box once let out. She wasn't as fixated though and I just kept moving her out. She was back to her happy self after about a week. However with Estelle it was if I had released a different hen with no thoughts of the nest box at all. You will just need to see how she is after 3 days. Hopefully she will have forgotten about being broody. I am not sure about your egg question as my girls' egg laying is not very regular so I am not sure who is laying, although I did have 2 silkie eggs about 4 days after Trixie came out the cage so I know she definitely laid one then.

[sandyhas3chucks]

so if you are about AND able to... then simply removing any eggs as soon as they are laid, wont stop them being broody?

(reading all and trying to learn)

[Old Speckled Hen]

Not in my experience.

They will sit on an empty nest beating up any other hens that try to lay there.

[jennym]

so if you are about AND able to... then simply removing any eggs as soon as they are laid, wont stop them being broody?

 

Unlikely. Mine just try to hatch the invisible eggs

 

I did try the ice packs as one went broody at the worst possible time - we were going away for a few days, then back for a couple, then away again, etc. A neighbour looked after them but we didn't have a cage and also we didn't want to make him the 'bad guy' keeping her in the cage. We just asked him to collect the eggs, boot her off the nest whenever possible, and when we were home we kept ice packs in the nest. She was quite determined, and due to our half-hearted attempts to break her it took ages. Not much fun! After that experience, and seeing how miserable she was for so long, 3 days in a broody cage seems kinder to me - but hens are different, so maybe for some the dunking or the ice blocks could work...

[Luvachicken]

Not in my experience.

They will sit on an empty nest beating up any other hens that try to lay there.

 

I must admit that Melody was trying to hatch nothing too, although she did try and pinch the others eggs as soon as they were laid.

 

She survived the night anyway, and was pleased to be woken up and given fresh supplies of food and water, but she was not impressed that when I got in from work just now the others got let out to play and she didn't.

Never mind, only today and tomorrow to go hopefully

[Old Speckled Hen]

Best of luck and give us a progress report

[Luvachicken]

Thank you Old Speckled Hen.

 

Do you think it would be a good idea to keep her there for 5 days ?

My mum seems to think that will be better than 3 but not as much as 7.

Will let you know how things progress anyway.