Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[smartrus]

my favourite hen Penny, is behaving in a worrying way. Up until now she has been the boss and is a real character, shes always escaping and going for a wander. Today I found her on the kitchen dresser! Well, when she's out of the run away from the other 9 (who she usually bosses round) she is fine, loves our company and potters. Up till now, she is fine being put back with the others who wouldn't bat an eye lid. However, the last few days, she seems to panic when out back with the others and makes little chirup noises like she did as a young chick and paces along the fence not daring to eat or drink, she seems really upset. The others have taken to pecking her and now she runs into the coop and won't come out unless we get her and take her with us to FR. Can anyone tell me what this all means? Edited August 13, 2013 by Guest

[redsunset]

Could she be wanting to go broody I wonder? Just a thought as one of my rhode rocks makes wee chirrup noises as if talking to an imaginary brood? (Her second time broody in 6 wks) They take to bed, or nests and this one in particular goes a bit google eyed, and if I lift her out of the nest picks twigs and stalks around her all the time chirruping away to a brood?

[smartrus]

Ah, maybe you are on to something. She definitely is making that noise. My daughter said she was sitting on all the eggs in the coup and when she lifted her off and moved the eggs she followed them and tried to sit on them! Would this explain why the others have taken to pecking her though? Is her behaviour making her a target? Should we keep her out away from the others for a bit or will this make it worse when she is put back? How do you stop her being broody! So many questions!!

[good_egg]

Are they pecking her badly or just a quick "put in place"? I'm fairly sure they slip down the pecking order when they go broody.

[smartrus]

They seem to all rush and gang up on her! Ive been down this morning and she's stuck up on the highest perch inside. I carried her out to eat but she panicked and ran back inside. I'm tempted to let her fr and risk her messing up the garden! I don't want to make matters worse by separating her though. I'm quite sad, it's not nice to watch.

[mimi5]

Hi there! It sounds like broody behaviour to me and she will have lost her top spot! Best thing to do is get a wire cat carrier (to use as an anti-broody coop) and a couple of clip on cups (1 for food & 1 for water) put it inside your run (is your run fox proof?) on a couple of bricks and pop Penny inside for 3 days & nights straight. She will be in sight of the others but safe from harm and should "cool" off and come out of her broodiness. Mine has been in constant use this summer with one or other or even 2 of my pekins being broody!!!!!!

 

Got my wire carrier off ebay, but I know people also use small dog crates Hope this helps

[good_egg]

..... but if she is up on perch and not in nestbox is it..... Mine have never all rushed at broody, just reminded her she had slipped lower. I'd be a little but worried she's feeling under the weather and they have noticed first. Can you give her a good once over and check poo etc to put your mind at rest. Dog crate definitely sensible if broody but best to be 100% sure...

[smartrus]

Thanks guys. I have a guinea pig run which is quite large which she could use. She is out FR at the moment. I will let her roost tonight in the coop and use the run in the morning. Boy these hens are complicated! Always something to learn. Unfortunately I am really attached to her as she is one of my original hens and has the most character. It's a shame to see her unhappy. Thank goodness there is a place where I can find such helpful people as yourselves.

[good_egg]

If she is broody you will need a cage with a wire bottom to break her - suspect the guinea pig one doesn't fit that description. Hope she is fine.

[smartrus]

Oh right, it does'nt. Can I ask why you need that? I'm a bit of a novice

[Egghead68]

You need to cool down her nether regions (e.g. By having air circulate through the bottom of the cage) to break the broodiness.

[smartrus]

ooh I see I've just put her back with the others and she made a high pitched squeel and the others all ran at her!! Is that what happens when a hen is broody? Or is it something else? I' m confused!

[mollyripkim]

Oh dear, there is always something to worry about. All I can offer is that I permanently have a broody silkie or two but the others never attack them. I would worry that there is something else wrong and that is why they are picking on her. Maybe it's different as mine as all bantams, even when they are broody they seemed resigned to me chucking them off the nest several times a day although they do make that high pitched noise when I do it.

I hope you get to the bottom of it.

[smartrus]

Thanks, me too. I shall continue to pamper her and let her out for a break, that's all I can do really. Thanks for all your help. xx

[good_egg]

Doesn't sound broody I'm afraid. Did you manage to check her over?

[Lulabellx1]

I agree, mine just sit in the coop when they are broody and squeal when you move them etc. They are never walking around the run (not even for food/drink = I have to force them out) and the rest of the girls pretty much leave them alone. I would suggest giving her a health check to see if you can spot any signs of illness. Good luck, hope she perks up and becomes her feisty self again

[mimi5]

Ok so Penny might not be broody........ some more info might shed light on things.......

 

Is she laying? How are her poos?? Apologies What colour is her comb and how old is she?? Have you added any other hens lately?

 

It could just be a change in the pecking order and watching it can be distressing for us humans Separating her from the group might only make things worse though

 

Hope you sort it out......they really are a mystery sometimes

[smartrus]

Thanks, I have had her out today, she does do the odd occasional revolting poop but they all do that. (I heard somewhere that they do different kinds of poop and some are more gross than others??) I've checked her over and can't see anything obvious she looks healthy, as for laying I can't tell you as we have about 7 or 8 eggs a day so tracking down who laid what is a real job! She is a rhode island light sussex cross and about 2 and a half yrs old. We have just got some more hens but they are in a different coop in another part of the garden and she was becoming odd before they came and when she is let out shes not at all bothered. I think (stupid as this seems) that she is fed up of being a chicken! She really doesn't like being with them and is far happier wandering round the garden with us and comes inot the house whenever she can!! You are right, they really are a mystery!

[Lulabellx1]

LOL at 'not bothered about being a chicken anymore', they are such funny creatures. One of our girls desperately wants to roost in our house every night. She comes up to our back door (which we have taken to putting a child gate on - so we can have the door open in the hot weather) and makes such a fuss at Dusk. I have to shoo her into the walk-in run and she grumpily joins the other girls.

 

If she is 2 and a half, maybe her egg production is slowing down a bit and therefore she doesn't quite feel like top hen anymore? Just a suggestion... if you cant see any physical signs of bad health then that's a good thing

 

Still puzzling though, keep us posted

 

Lu x

[Luvachicken]

Mine make a growling noise and raise their feathers up at me when they are broody, if that helps.

If one of them starts to be broody before I notice they make a really horrible noise to the others when they want to come to lay an egg.

 

If you can't see anything is wrong with her then it could be a good idea to put her in the broody cage anyway. Then if she is broody you will break her out of it and if she isn't she will have got a break from the others and you will notice any illness quicker.

 

I hope this helps x

[smartrus]

After spending some time observing the saga that is Penny, I have now separated her from the group. It was unbearable. I really don't think she is broody having looked for all the signs you all advised me to look for (very helpful, thanks ) and she didn't really display any of them. When she spent all her time in the coop she wasn't on the nest, just trying to get up as high as possible. The others were refusing to let her eat or drink and when I went up to feed them, Penny would come running out and try desperately to get out the fence, whilst being jumper on and pecked by a mob Bless her it was horrible to watch and all I could do was let her out to escape the beating. as soon a she was out it all calmed down and she pottered happily. So that's it I think, she is now sleeping on her own in a shed, and FR during the day in a fenced off part of the garden. She can see my other 3 chickens in the eglu and seems to like them, but I think this is how she will spend the rest of her days. I don't think I will ever know why this happened but at least she is happy now .

[Millie-Annie]

Aw bless her and I think what you have done is for the best. Is there one of the others that is very low ranking, that might be a friend for Penny so she is not on her own?

 

Sadly 2.5 is an old lady in hybrid terms, so it might be that she has aged, slipped down the pecking order and the others have seized their chance. Once you have an established top chicken again and the others fall into line, she might be able to go back, but like you I was rather she was happy

[Lulabellx1]

Sounds like a good plan hun. Especially if they are not letting her eat/drink... if she doesn't get injured then she would probably get very dehydrated! She sounds like a real character though

 

The lone chicken!

 

I agree with the previous post, when a new hen is established as top girl... maybe you could try slowly introducing her back?

 

I am off out to the garden to stop my top hen from squarking to the world that she has laid an egg!

x

[smartrus]

Thanks guys. x I am happier now I have made the decision. She is now sleeping soundly in the food shed on a spade handle. Sweet dreams Penny