Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[fantasticjudyann]

I've had my bantam Orps for about 4 weeks. Sparkle the Salmon Splash is behaving very oddly. She is broody, so I have to keep turfing her off the nest box. When I put her down she runs around yelling like a banshee and puffing up her feathers till she is twice the size

 

She frequently burrows down in the litter and has a good old bath. When she gets up she puffs up her feathers and I can see a pink patch around the vent. It's like she is trying to keep it cool as she shakes herself vigorously. She also seems to be plucking her own feathers and eating them

 

Is this typical broody behaviour for the breed or have I got a problem. I have a broody cage but will that cure her? I have read that they are prone to be broody and I'm not bothered as long as she is O.K.

[Purplemaniacs]

It sounds like broody to me. They do pull feathers out to help to keep the eggs warm.

 

When I had a broody I used a broody cage, kept her in for three days and nights and it worked for her.

 

Letting chooks go broody frequently often means they loose condition, I think, so in that way it is not good for them.

 

Chrissie

 

[mimi5]

I have my Penny in the anti-broody coop for her second sentence this year already !!!! But tomorrow is liberation day I find the the 3 days and nights really works. They can lose so much condition not eating and moving around, not to mention hogging the nestbox and upsetting the others !!!!

 

I would say to use the cage. Mine is a wire cat carrier with 2 galley cups in it (food & water), raised up on 2 bricks in the covered cube run. It works really well for me

[miller30]

My choc orp bantam Cadbury hatched out 14 babies yesterday this is biggest brood ive had from a broody leanne