AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

HI all,
Update is that I 'chickened' out (excuse the pun!) and couldn't bare to put Henrietta in an awful wire cage all alone so after ?1 week of brooding I just tossed her out of the coop and locked it shut. A terrifying experience for me cause she's REALLY upset and pecked at me really viciously. She had a fabulous day free ranging with the others and so I'd hoped she'd snapped out of it but no..... same story for the next 2 days. Each morning she's in brood mode and therefore really pissed off to be kicked out.

I would have thought if she was really serious about being a mummy she'd just do it some place else in my backyard, but she hasn't? She's had 3 good days of free ranging. No eggs from her though. I also would have thought that would be enough to drop her temperature down and she'd be back to normal but no??

Any advice out there? Shall I just continue on doing what I'm doing? I also saw on Youtube a video of dunking them in a bucket of water for 10 sec - had to do it 3 times and then she was ok and they argued it was more humane than leaving her in a wire cage for weeks? all alone and I tend to agree. But whatever I do she hates me for it - and I'm not allowed more chicks sadly... so she's never gonna be a mommy...

Thanks in advance,

Well it's now been a couple of weeks and my daily routine of tossing Henrietta out with the others and locking the coop is forcing her to free range all day and she's doing well during the day - but just goes back into brood mode overnight again and hasn't laid now for weeks. I can't bear the thought of dunking her in a bucket of water so I've now got the wire cage, the feeders (thanks Bobkat) and I'm ready to go... just hope this works?

I've got 5 chickens in total and only 1 is laying, and even that I have to toss into the bin cause of the antibiotics Nearly finished.... and even that's been pointless as Ruby's STILL sneezing and not laying?

Sorry to be so negative - hopefully just going through a rough patch with motherhood??

Hello Newmum,

Yep, sometimes we have to be cruel to be kind even with our chooks. A wire cage is the only way to really break the cycle. We have broken 3 broody silkies in the last 2 weeks as one of them was very skinny. After 3 nights in the broody cage they are all back to normal. One even laid an egg today. They are out free ranging during the day which is much better for their health and well being.

Good luck it won't take long.

THanks Chickababe...

my chicken has been broody for what feels like forever !!! i'm just leaving her to sort things out for herself... hahaha. she takes everyones eggs that the other chickens lay and stash them under her each day. and each day i take the eggs away... i hope one day she will get bored of sitting for no reason and just get up and leave the next box.

ok = stepping in in my resident caffeine deprived grumpy old woman role =

I suggest you do something about that bird to stop her being broody
some hens have been known to starve to death thru lack of adequate food even IF they get out every now and then and eat a bit = they require a minimum amount to sustain life and rarely eat even that minimum when in the broody state your bird is in = they sit until they get chicks hatch = millions of years of evolution have made them that way she might sit until chicks hatch or she dies

so again = I suggest you stop her from being in this broody mode

Dumb question, but where does one source a wire cage?

My Light Sussex had been broody going on two weeks, now. I've forced her outside, she free-ranges and is eating, but when I'm at work, I know she's on the nest. I blocked that off this week, but she just goes broody in the corner.

I have a rabbit hutch I can stash her in - half wire, half cosy hutch. I'm afraid she'll just continue her broodiness in the hutch half. How does one find a wire cage to put her in for a few days?

Also, is it normal they start being aggressive to the the other birds? She has two sisters and there's never been a problem, now she's attacking them ( and I mean pulling out feathers!) and fighting them.

Buh?



Mands

Hi Mands,
I made a cage with a wooden frame and covered it top, bottom and one end with vermin proof (its a little sturdier and the holes are smaller) wire. Made a wooden door and tadaah ready with water and food cup attracted to the side walls. It took me about 4 hours. I will post a photo later of my home made cage.

I agree with soozorp. Don't just let her be. My girls had a one track mind and it wasn't food. Health was an issue. Snap her out if it ASAP.

Okay. I think I'll elevate the rabbit hutch and block off access to the "hutch" part. That leaves just the wire cage for her.

One more - do I leave her in there all day and night for as long as it takes? Will the wire not hurt her feet?



That was the last question(s), I promise!!!!!!

Mands

Yes leave her in there day and night. Their feet are fine. Just make sure there's nothing sharp for them to cut their feet on. You will know when she's ready to exit as she won't cluck so much. My 3 silkies were all extremely broody each took a turn from 2 to 3 days and then they were happy to join the flock without racing back to the nest box. Shouldn't take more than a week.