mullethunter Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) Penny sat on her egg for three hours this evening in classic fluffed out broody pose. I've just got her off and shut her and Amy out of the Eglu (much pecking and shrieking!). I don't have a broody cage - do you think making her sleep on the perch in the run will work? I'll keep Amy shut out too to keep her company...I feel mean Edited July 23, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Snowflake gets broody every year at this time for about 3 weeks. I just make sure she comes out each day to eat and drink and put lice powder in the sawdust that she sits on and a little bowl of water each day. I remove the eggs that the other hen is laying too. Her comb goes pale and floppy and she loses a bit of weight but she always comes out of it. I haven't used a broody cage (cat box) mainly because then the other one would be sleeping on her own and I would be worried about a fox getting in to the run at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 I've shut Penny and Amy both out of the house so they both have to sleep on the perch in the run. Didn't have the heart to let Amy go in and shut Penny out on her own. I feel so mean though - poor confused looking chooks I'm sure the pekins are sniggering inside their cat box though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 thats sensible, at least they are together then. My snowflake is out and about today in the garden (still flapping and squawking) so hopefully is coming out of her broody phase. She was sat on 3 eggs so I have now removed those and keeping the eglu pop-hole open to cool the coop down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 How long was Snowflake broody for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 It can take 3-4 days to snap them out of it but don't be surprised if in a few weeks they go broody again just repeat the process the breeds your girls are they are prone to broodiness leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsatroy Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My amber star Daisy was broody from the end of May till last week. Over 8 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thanks all for advice and support! Leanne - yes I knew it was likely to happen - still hoped it wouldn't though Anyway, Penny is now in an upside down hamster cage with food and water. Fingers crossed for better by the end of the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wez Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Doh! We've been going through this for about 4 weeks now! Have 5 Pekin's and Lilly went totally hormonal and sat in box all day, tried to kill you if you moved her etc and the Dolly joined in to a lesser extent. We tried the dunking in cold water although I wasn't keen and it did nothing, got a broody cage which was ok during the day but I kept them all together again at night, just blocked off the nestbox in the cube and after nearly 4 weeks, today Lilly came out of the coop by herself for breakfast and is spending a little more time out than in as the day goes on. Hopefully she is nearing the end of this. The last few days I've just been letting her get on with it as she took to sitting in the coop rather than the nestbox and apart from making sure she came out at least once a day for food, water and a good old poop, I've decided to let things take their course. They're hens at the end of the day, and it's natural for them. Less eggs obviously but now, Milly looks like she's starting to moult early ... wonder what the other 2 will do as a party piece>>!! Love 'em though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Snowflake is still broody but now moulting so I hope she's coming out of it. 2 months with no eggs from her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I don't know if this will work but someone told me to try using a cat/puppy plastic box with broken bricks inside. This way the chicken will remain cool underneath and the higgledypiggledy nature of the bricks meant a chicken couldn't get comfortable. My friend keeps her chickens and quails in large plastic dog carrying cages. Because we will keep the coop creosoted, I am going to use those on a temporary basis when the coop needs doing again. (You may have noticed OH did not factor this in when building the coop so it can't be removed from run ) I digress. Maybe try the bricks. Not hugely expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Advice ~here~, from the FAQ section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 Snowflake is still broody but now moulting so I hope she's coming out of it Blimey that's a long time. The hamster cage worked a treat on Penny. She was in there for three days and nights. When I let her out she had a 2 hour dust bath, and that was almost that. She did try to roost in the nest hollow of the Eglu for the next 2 nights so I made her and Amy sleep outside on the perch, but after that all was back to normal. If I get it so easy every time I'll count myself very lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
