Broody hen too weak to get back to nest

[Kw92]

We have a broody Orpington that has been faithfully sitting on her nest. We set food and water by her so that she wouldn't have to get up, but it doesn't appear that she has been taking any of it. Today we found her off of her nest and just laying by it. It seems as though she's too weak to walk. We tried to feed her, but she would not take anything.

We took her back to the house, got her situated, put her eggs in the incubator, and tried to give her food and water. She scarfed down almost 2 eggs and ate some chicken feed. I put poultry cell and an electrolyte blend in her water. I noticed that she is slightly sneezing, shaking her head, and wiping her beak a lot. Seems like the lack of nutrients combined with our colder nights here might have made her develop a respiratory illness. We are keeping her inside to nurse her back to health more.

Has anyone else had a hen that wouldn't eat or drink by the nest? Did you have to frequently remove her just so she would hydrate and eat some? I'm trying to decide if it would be a good idea to continue to allow her to incubate these eggs or if I should put her in broody jail. I definitely don't want her to off herself because she only thinks about her eggs! She might make a great mother to her babies, but she's terrible at self-care!

 

[Ingrid_Grace]

I think it would be best for the hen to not let her have the babies until after they hatch so she has a bit of time to build back her strength. This works wonders for respiratory:

 

[Kw92]

I think it would be best for the hen to not let her have the babies until after they hatch so she has a bit of time to build back her strength. This works wonders for respiratory: View attachment 3979199

Thanks so much! I just ordered some off of Amazon!

 

[RcoM]

That's a big help to everyone who may ever need it. Thanks

 

[Kiki]

Thanks so much! I just ordered some off of Amazon!

It's nothing more that chicken Vick's vapor rub.
Sounds like she is in bad shape. I'd not give her the eggs to continue sitting on unless you are prepared for her to sit until she dies.

Encourage her to eat chicken feed as much as possible to help her get a balanced diet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We have a broody Orpington that has been faithfully sitting on her nest. We set food and water by her so that she wouldn't have to get up, but it doesn't appear that she has been taking any of it. Today we found her off of her nest and just laying by it. It seems as though she's too weak to walk. We tried to feed her, but she would not take anything.

I put poultry cell and an electrolyte blend in her water. I noticed that she is slightly sneezing, shaking her head, and wiping her beak a lot. Seems like the lack of nutrients combined with our colder nights here might have made her develop a respiratory illness.

Has anyone else had a hen that wouldn't eat or drink by the nest? Did you have to frequently remove her just so she would hydrate and eat some? I'm trying to decide if it would be a good idea to continue to allow her to incubate these eggs or if I should put her in broody jail.

How many days has she been sitting?

Where was she brooding? I generally leave my broody with the flock, she will get off the nest at least once daily to go eat/drink (with the flock), take a dust bath, etc., then return to the nest.

You want your broody to get up and move about at least once a day.
Check her for lice/mites.

You notice wheezing, wiping the beak, etc. this was after she scarfed down a bunch of food/water?
Check her crop, is it emptying?

In this case, if she's not well, then break her broodiness, restore her health. Brood the chicks yourself.

See that she's eating her normal feed and drinking. Bits of egg or fish (tuna, sardines, mackerel) are often enticing.

 

[DobieLover]

I think it would be best for the hen to not let her have the babies until after they hatch so she has a bit of time to build back her strength. This works wonders for respiratory: View attachment 3979199

It doesn't cure anything at all.

Thanks so much! I just ordered some off of Amazon!

Cancel the order.

Please follow the advice @Wyorp Rock has given you.

 

[Yardmom]

Broody hens sometimes only eat and drink once a day. It is best if they need to move to get that food, otherwise they don't stretch their muscles and they will make a huge mess in their nest.
As far as your hen goes, was she sitting beside the nest , but not pulling the eggs to her? How long was she broody...Are you sure it was broodiness and not the start of the illness? At this point I think caring for your hen should be the priority. If her broodiness is broken from taking the eggs, moving her etc. she is not likely to raise the chicks after they are hatched in the incubator.

 

[Kw92]

She was definitely broody. She displays all the signs of broodiness; fluffing up and making noises when approached, getting up and returning to nest (at the start at least), aggressively pecking anything that approaches her (shes normally very docile).

She was broody for exactly 7 days. The first couple of days she would get up and return to the nest. After a few days, we were concerned that she wasn't getting up to eat or drink, so we put food and water by her.

She had made a nest in our barn where there is straw. The other chickens don't really go on there, but she could leave and return to the flock if she had wanted to.

I've checked for lice/mites and she seems good on that front.

If I remember correctly, she was doing light sneezing and shaking of her head before she was eating, but she was definitely doing it more afterwards. She seems to be doing better with that today. I haven't noticed any of this since then, so hopefully this was just because food got into her nostrils and she was trying to clear it.

I took her outside today, but she still couldn't walk.

I started giving her grower feed and some tomatoes I had on hand. She took to that well.

I just felt her crop, and yes it is emptying.

It seems that she is actually just weak from lack of eating and drinking. Should I get her some niacin as well?

I'm hoping that after a week or two she'll be back to her normal self.

How many days has she been sitting?

Where was she brooding? I generally leave my broody with the flock, she will get off the nest at least once daily to go eat/drink (with the flock), take a dust bath, etc., then return to the nest.

You want your broody to get up and move about at least once a day.
Check her for lice/mites.

You notice wheezing, wiping the beak, etc. this was after she scarfed down a bunch of food/water?
Check her crop, is it emptying?

In this case, if she's not well, then break her broodiness, restore her health. Brood the chicks yourself.

See that she's eating her normal feed and drinking. Bits of egg or fish (tuna, sardines, mackerel) are oft

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She was definitely broody. She displays all the signs of broodiness; fluffing up and making noises when approached, getting up and returning to nest (at the start at least), aggressively pecking anything that approaches her (shes normally very docile).

She was broody for exactly 7 days. The first couple of days she would get up and return to the nest. After a few days, we were concerned that she wasn't getting up to eat or drink, so we put food and water by her.

She had made a nest in our barn where there is straw. The other chickens don't really go on there, but she could leave and return to the flock if she had wanted to.

I've checked for lice/mites and she seems good on that front.

If I remember correctly, she was doing light sneezing and shaking of her head before she was eating, but she was definitely doing it more afterwards. She seems to be doing better with that today. I haven't noticed any of this since then, so hopefully this was just because food got into her nostrils and she was trying to clear it.

I took her outside today, but she still couldn't walk.

I started giving her grower feed and some tomatoes I had on hand. She took to that well.

I just felt her crop, and yes it is emptying.

It seems that she is actually just weak from lack of eating and drinking. Should I get her some niacin as well?

I'm hoping that after a week or two she'll be back to her normal self.

Niacin is usually given to Ducks, but if you have Brewer's yeast that can be added to her feed.

For me, if she were mine, I'd give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily.
Work on getting her up. She may benefit from being placed in sling for short periods of time, this will allow her to move her legs but without having to support all of her weight.

Hopefully over the next couple of days she'll gain strength and be able to start moving about a little better.