CAMPYLOBACTER: Anyone else had it?

[Mar1a]

It is steel wired at the bottom now, that pic was before we got them in there and the cable ties were just to hold the wire in place against the frame. It's also double wired all around and the roof, with two different sizes of wire, as well as wire mesh sunk down into the ground all around and a skirt. Yet still I worry it's not enough!

[The Dogmother]

that sounds perfect Mar1a, as I said, it is your decision, but I would be happy to put my broody cage inside the main run. I have Cube Trains with multiple run extension and the broody cage goes inside the run with the plastic tray on top, and held down to stop the others perching on top and pooing on her!

[Mar1a]

Broody remand has begun! Took me ages to boot her off the nest, then when I had her cornered she tried to kill me with a broody poo

 

Do I just leave her in there for 3 days minimum and then let her out to see what she does? Presumably I have to cover her up at night? She'd have to stay covered until I get round there about 7am to uncover her though . That's the problem with not keeping your girls at home

[The Dogmother]

Leave her in there for 3 days, 24/7, I never bother to cover it at night, just top up with clean water and food. Let her out in the morning so that she isn't going straight in to roost and getting warmer again.

[jimnpaula]

she tried to kill me with a broody poo

 

[Mar1a]

she tried to kill me with a broody poo

 

 

It was truly, truly vile

 

Been to check on her this morning and she's fine, other than she's s"Ooops, word censored!"ed her food out all over the floor and managed to do a great big poo in her water pot! I gave her some corn and she's polished off some cabbage that I put in there last night for her so hopefully, come Saturday morning, she'll be ok when I let her out

[The Dogmother]

She will be fine try to avoid corn when they are broody, or in warmer weather as it is heating and will increase the broody problem when she needs to be cooled down. Mealworms area good substitute

[Mar1a]

Ooooh, I hadn't thought of that, but thank you! They all love mealworms

[The Dogmother]

Just a few, and only at the end of the day, mind...

[Mar1a]

I thought we were making progress with her- she was more alert, eating and drinking, taking an interest in what was going on around her, even a caecal poo, and then, boff, back down she sits again

 

Other than letting her out, how will I know if she's broken? Are there any signs I should look for?

[The Dogmother]

Just leave her in the crate for 3days and nights, then let her out in the morning. It usually works, but the odd daft hen is resistant.

 

Whatever you do, don't dunk her In iced water as some people do; birds tend to have weak hearts and it could kill her... Besides, you will get very wet!

[Mar1a]

She gets parole in the morning she is much more like her normal self this evening so please keep everything crossed for us

[Mar1a]

I'm broody free

 

Thank you for all of your help, advice and encouragement

[mullethunter]

Well done Mar1a - it is a good method just difficult to stick to your guns because you feel so mean!

[The Dogmother]

I know, but it's (indirectly) meaner to let them brood..... They will starve themselves and become lice and mite magnets as they get too hot.

[Mar1a]

The first thing she did was have a blimmin good bath

 

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l599/ria_g1/20150606_110446.jpg

 

I tried posting the pic directly but it looked so big it was heading off into the next county!

[Cat tails]

 

Lovely!

[Mar1a]

Guess who looks like she's going broody again?!

 

She was fine this morning. Perfectly happy doing what hens do. She laid her egg this morning and this afternoon there she was in the nest box again. She wasn't happy when I turfed her out.

 

So. Here we are again. The broody cage has to come out. I'll do my best to keep her shaded, and keep up with the water and cooling treats, but we are forecast temps of 30 degrees plus next week - will she be ok in the cage?

[The Dogmother]

She wlll be fine so long as it's in a shady place, and there's a good airflow through it.

[Mar1a]

Thank you DM, we are putting her in the cage later today while it's still cool enough to have an effect on her. With the forecast heatwave, I'm not convinced that it will work straight away this time

[The Dogmother]

You can help to cool the air around the cage by draping a damp cloth over part of it if it gets very hot.

[Mar1a]

I'll keep that one up my sleeve, thank you

 

She's in. I just scooped her out of the nest box and into the cage. She was livid

 

Funny thing is, when I got her out of the nest box, she was sitting on her own egg. Then it dawned on me that it was probably an egg that her body started yesterday before her broody switch got flicked.

[Mar1a]

My heart skipped several thousand beats this morning when I went round to check on her - the cage was EMPTY

 

She'd only escaped through the top and gone back in the nest box

 

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