a broody non-broody ?

[strangeanimal]

Now about a week orso I went for 2 new hens , one is still adapting but the one that adapted perfect is now still in the playpen yet showing similarities with a broody and other time it looks to be not a broody hen , so which is it in fact ?

Two days ago her poop changed tough to typicall broody poop , she comes from the nest but always goes back to it and if she'd find an egg she stays on it for hours totally flat yet not having her feathers all fluffed up and it's fine to just grab an egg , she also started to strip her belly , not constantly but enough to be halfnude there already , she only does this on the nest and not if she is in the pen walking around and eating .
When feeding she does come to eat yet she takes it to the nest ?? and she eats it on the nest which I didn't want her to so I take her and the food out each time when she then starts to have that known ' complain tone ' , she is also a little bit , akward in her behavior just since today , when you take her of the nest just because she is sitting in there for hours she becomes afraid and flighty ? she didn't have this before , now she either runs of or starts to scream to let her go even when you just lifted her up for an egg and to put her on the grass , I'm a bit confused because she has a lot in common with the broodies but sometimes she just doesn't mind about it ? it is a blackcopper Marans .

 

[PD-Riverman]

Why don't you just break her for now---only take 3 days, then in some time if she wants to go broody again---if you want her to hatch chicks----set her----if not break her again. Having had 100's of grown hens I have had to break quiet a few. I have broody breaker cage set-up/hanging on the back of my main coop just for this. Of course I have set over 150 broodies in 3 years or so----Mercy I never counted/kept up with the hatched chicks but probably around 1500 hatched from the boodies alone.

 

[strangeanimal]

so she is broody ? ow dear I so don't like it right now and all the breaking stuf is so sad to see plus it takes up much of your time , how can she just go broody when she is here for only a week and a bit ??? what way should I do it ? the cage is something that works quite well one time and another time not at all , could she be broken by keeping her away from the nestboxes once she has laid her eggs ? I can close them with an extra hatch I have on it each time I want it to be closed , had to use this a time ago for a hen that kept pooping in the box and sleeping , this in combo with cold water on her belly ?? I see you're overrun by chickens here , so I guess you'd definitely know

 

[PD-Riverman]

Strangeanimal if you are not familiar with a broody breaker cage----just ask and I will share what woks for me----so far every time----with I have No Idea how many hens??

 

[PD-Riverman]

so she is broody ? ow dear I so don't like it right now and all the breaking stuf is so sad to see plus it takes up much of your time , how can she just go broody when she is here for only a week and a bit ??? what way should I do it ? the cage is something that works quite well one time and another time not at all , could she be broken by keeping her away from the nestboxes once she has laid her eggs ? I can close them with an extra hatch I have on it each time I want it to be closed , had to use this a time ago for a hen that kept pooping in the box and sleeping , this in combo with cold water on her belly ?? I see you're overrun by chickens here , so I guess you'd definitely know

My cage breaking does not take any time to speak of---once the cage is set-up. For Sure no water bath here. I just check her feed and water----nothing else to do but let her get over it.

If I get one going broody and I do not want to set her----I just pick her up and put her in the already set-up cage, give her some food and water. Check her every day to make sure she has food and water. In 72+ hours(min) I put her back with the flock.

 

[strangeanimal]

My cage breaking does not take any time to speak of---once the cage is set-up. For Sure no water bath here. I just check her feed and water----nothing else to do but let her get over it.

Ok , time to get the 'anti-broodycage ' , I remember it failed as long as there were roostingbars and while when I had taken these out after a while the first egg showed up again but that was the hardest broody I had ever seen here (even the cage was just good for just a while , after a few days she began to act like a broody again , same breed so I'm holding the fingers crossed ! ) I'm using a dogcrate for her , so lots of light and barely comfort but it is best for her and me , there are enough broody hens and she is too new to this place so it can't just go on ... Sad sight coming up argh

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ok , time to get the 'anti-broodycage ' , I remember it failed as long as there were roostingbars and while when I had taken these out after a while the first egg showed up again but that was the hardest broody I had ever seen here (even the cage was just good for just a while , after a few days she began to act like a broody again , same breed so I'm holding the fingers crossed ! ) I'm using a dogcrate for her , so lots of light and barely comfort but it is best for her and me , there are enough broody hens and she is too new to this place so it can't just go on ... Sad sight coming up argh

I do not know how your crate is made-----a all wire cage, floor-----with NOTHNG she can lay on-----the cage works better if hung---but if you put bricks under it to hold it up they can only be slightly under the edge---if they are under it she will set on one. Make feeder/waterer so they can hang on the side---not on the floor. No bedding or roost poles. Full 72 +hrs-----don't shorten that time. She will be fine----so will you!!! Good Luck

 

[strangeanimal]

lol I guess this is harder to me than for her ! she is ' crying all the evening ' , is that normal or should I do something ? she is constantly shuffling with her tale on the cagefloor :s trying to get comfy and is then complaining again and if you ignore it , like ive done untill now she starts to cry poor thing or poor me ? or poor both of us haha ! just hope this is alright because she is not happy at all ! I have putted the crate ( has no wire flooring but steel ) before the window and added a blanket over it so she could sleep but also dimmed my lights and still hear her

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'd take the blanket off. Your trying not to give her a dark comfy place so she will break being broody.

We don't have a wire cage anymore so just use the small grow out pen. I put the broodies in there and close the small coop door for the day. Let them in the coop at night then pull them out in morning and close the door again. They've no place to sit and are in daylight all day. Three days of that and brood is broken.

Had a girl in there for two days and a relative heard her carrying on yesterday and let her out of pen. I thanked them kindly as now I have to put her back in for another three days after taking her off one of the layer coop nest this morning. I've broken two broodies so far this spring. This variety is partial to brood...

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have putted the crate ( has no wire flooring but steel ) before the window and added a blanket over it so she could sleep but also dimmed my lights and still hear her

Is the sides of this crate wire?? Can you turn it on its side, upside down?? The steel floor is not going to help and for sure no blanket to make it comfy, BUT she is yours!!!