Topic: Can anyone help?

[coznbob]

Hi, after being smug at getting my chickens about 8 weeks ago, one of them has gone broody.

This in itself isn't so much much of a problem, have been reading what to do and thought that it would be relatively simple to deal with.

However, am finding that with chickens if they can do something the hard way, they will.

At first, I thought that if I removed the eggs the other chickens had laid pretty sharpish and turfed her off the nesting box, she may get fed up, esp. as being so young. But, the other chooks do not take kindly to this and start to attack her. Yesterday they went for her so badly, they managed to draw blood in the space of 30 seconds, all attacking her comb at once.

She is not leaving the nesting box to eat or drink so this morning I had to lock in the other chickens and leave her in the run on her own, so at least she could get to the food and water, although she protested loudly she did eat. About to do this again now.....

But how do I stop the others hurting her if she does come out into the run... and why are they doing it?

Sorry such a long post but think am at the start of another long learning curve... ::)

[teresa]

what breed have you got?
best to move her to her own run and box, safer for her, also having a broody in with main hens it sends them all broody its like a infection.
being broody can last from 3 weeks some will go to 6 weeks, so have you thought about breaking her of it if she has just started you might be able to. a box with no nesting material and run just with food and water. there are other methords.
 

[Lizann]

I had a problem when one of my hens seemed a bit off colour that the others starting going for her, so removed her to a wee bit in the garage until she seemed better and her comb had recovered from where the others had pecked her, just a few days, and she was fine once she went back in with the others.

[coznbob]

Hi there, thanks for the replies....

The broody is a speckledy hydrid, the others hybrids of light sussex,darksussex,bovans nera and amber star.

My set up is a converted shed, and run attached. So am now trying to think how i could separate her, do you think if I could separate off a section of the run and leave one of the bigger sized cat transport boxes in for her, that would be ok?

Have to say she is being very sweet natured about the whole thing though.... first time I have been able to pick her up, since we got her, despite her growly sounds....

[daxzen]

try the  water bath - its an old trick but has worked for me - the science is all about the brooding instinct being disrupted by the cold water in the tub.

As follows:

fill tub with cold water
immerse the broody hen in the water and wet all its belly feathers - this cools the belly and the hen instinctively knows that with wet feathers it will be unable to brood the eggs
do the same for a few days until the behaviour stops

Its perfectly alright and has no adverse effects on the hen

it has worked for me

all the best

dax

[jonny211]

I used a broody crate to break my speckledy out of it, it took 3 days but it worked.

I made a crate with a perch and room for food and water, the bottom of the crate was open to the air so cool air could circulate around the chook. Hang the crate outside somewhere out of the rain... but don't give in no matter how sorry she looks, she'll be back on the nest in a flash if she's still broody.

Mind you this year I'm itching for a broody but none are sitting, bah!

[coznbob]

Thanks for the advice, so far she is resisting any attempt to break her  ::)

May try the water bath tip soon as she is starting to look a bit run down.

[worldor]

Just let nature take its course. Broodyness is a natural thing and cruel breaking tactics are just that in my opinion. After the broodyness passes your hen will have a moult and soon look beautiful again in her new feathers.