The Poultry Keeper

Elly · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 289 Location: Norfolk

My broody hen just sits on her eggs refusing to move. If we lift her off she plonks down on the floor and refuses to move until you leave her to get back on eggs. She has been sitting in her broody house for best part of two weeks and not pooped at all. Is this bad or normal? We have let nature run its course up to now, but I am a bit worried.
Keep smilin
Elly

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2490 Location: South Cumbria

Is she not eating and drinking then ? if so this could be dangerous, after having lost 2 Silkies after rearing chicks I now lift them off and make sure they have something to eat and drink before going back on the eggs, broodies can lose condition if they won't eat normal corn or pellets I tempt them with tinned sweet corn hth

Elly · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 289 Location: Norfolk

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Leicestershire

I take mine off the nest every night when the others are shut in, I "encourage" them to walk by a poke with my foot if they plonk down - they soon get the message and then have a poo & drink. I find food in the broody coop is the best way, when they have got into the above habit (couple of days) they usually eat before settling back on the eggs. I did read once to throw a broody in the air and then as they land they have a poo. I tried it once. . . . the chicken ran off squalking and it took me ages to catch her, i never did it again because I thought it was cruel. By the way I put my broody down away from the eggs and for the first week tie a length of binder twine round her leg so I can catch her again, after a week or 10 days they have learnt what's happening and I can catch them without it.

Itsybitsy

debcat · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject:

Like itsy says I wouldn't try throwing them in the air, however I have found the following works if she is reluctant to get off and just sit down, you could try holding her a foot or so off the floor and letting go, that seems to be enough to get them going, they usually eat, drink have a run about and poop then return straight to the nest

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1406 Location: Carmarthenshire

I'm having the same problem with 2 broodies at the moment, they each have their own broody ark and run and I put them out twice a day for 15 mins without any joy! Mine are definately eating mixed corn and drinking (I put both in the nestbox with them). Sedgewort has suggested leaving them out longer (covering the eggs with a towel if worried about them cooling) which I'm going to try today (mine are only at days 5 and 3!!!!).

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Leicestershire

Trouble is if you don't do something they end up fouling the nest, broody hen poo smells horrible, there is a great heap of it, it gets all over the eggs and needs to be cleaned off. . . . . yeuk

Itsybitsy

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1406 Location: Carmarthenshire

Sedgewort suggested leaving them out a bit longer so thats what i did and guess what? They both did an enormous poo! They were still both swearing at me but, hopefully, they feel a bit of relief now!

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Leicestershire

Do it every day now and they'll get the idea Very Happy

Itsybitsy