The Poultry Keeper

wjt · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Birmingham

I'm after a little help. I have had two Rhode Island Red hybrids for about 9 months now, they came to me at Point of Lay. They seem perfectly happy in the garden and appear to be completely free of parasites.
Both are confined to their run until 4:30pm Monday to Thursday whilst I'm at work but are free to roam the garden the rest of the time. Now the problem is;

a) One chicken has never laid an egg.
b) The second chicken lays an egg daily. Unfortunately, she lays for two weeks and is then broody for three weeks.

Is there anything I can do to get number 1 chicken to lay or indeed, has anyone ever come across a non-laying chicken? As for the broody one, any tips on preventing here from becoming broody and if not, how to snap her out of it quickly?

Hope someone can help

Thanks

debcat · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject:

Hi,
chicken 1 - I've never known a hybrid to do that before, not much help I know
chicken 2 - Hybrids are meant to have the broodiness bred out of them, the odd one seems to go the otherway though, one of my best broodies was a hybrid
What have you tried with her?
there's closing off the nest boxes, closing the pop-hole so she can't get back in, sitting her on a cold damp towel to lower her temperature.
then theres the sin bin Very Happy

The idea being to make them cooler and not comfortable enough to sit.
I use a wire dog cage stood on bricks so the air can get all around. Food and water in there with her, but no bedding

HTH
Debs

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I didn't think Rhode Island Reds were hybrids, or do you mean your are RIR x something else ~ probably light sussex, that's one of the usual crosses?

It's a falacy that hybrids don't go broody ~ one of mine was a very good mother to her orpington chicks.

You can only do what debcat has suggested. I used to lock my wouldd-be's out to free range all day so they couldn't get back in the house to take up nest box space. It took quite some time, 3 weeks sounds about right. You have to be more persistent than them ~ no matter how boring that might be, and usually is.