Rosie gone broody

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Gwenoakes
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Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Rosie is about 27/29 weeks old and has been the only one of the new chooks I got that has laid eggs. She has now been broody for 5 days.
She is a small speckledie hen, sorry do not know her make up, bantam perhaps?
She is not very well covered and I am having to take her off her nest, with no eggs in I might add as she has stopped laying, as this is the only way she will eat/drink anything. She will only stay off approx 5 mins and then protests very loudly to go back, refusing to eat/drink anything else. I have been taking her off 4 times a day so far.
Any advice whether I am to leave her to get on with it, or carry on as I am doing would be appreciated, please. Many thanks, Gwen.

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Linda S
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Linda S »

Hi Gwen our Jemima will lay about 15 to 20 eggs and then she goes broody we do the same as you are doing. And just make sure she eats and drinks and poo of course and you wouldn'the think so much could come out of such a tiny body yike* .
She has left home to shack up with a gorgeous young fella called Mr Darcey and his other wife so she may have babies at a later date and boys are no problem she is a bantam.
Manda did a good post about broody girls but I'm sorry I don't know where it is.
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kitla
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by kitla »

I'm amazed she's gone broody in the winter! She must be an Australian hen. Mine go broody on & off all summer, I get them off the nest a couple of times a day & wait till they give up on their own. Usually it can take weeks (or occasionally months) but I'd guess Rosie will give up quite soon at this time of year.
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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi I have a girl (JOAN ) that is sitting on a nest with a egg as soon as she can find one. Treats can get her out but I also wonder why they have gone broody . It must be when they are hatched and timing of the year.
Would not be to concerned as long as warm and eating and drinking . I do leave food in the nest box and water as well. Rather the ate and drank then lose weight this time of year .
keep us up dated .
Bob
Gwenoakes
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

This is the third time I have tried to reply, each time been dragged away for something else!
Thanks everyone for replying.
I thought it was rather strange that she would go broody this time of year and also because she is still young, but hey ho, nice to know I/she is not on her own.
They are sleeping on top of the nest boxes and this is where she sits all day too. For some reason they will not roost on the perches as they were doing, so have put a large cardboard box on the floor with some straw in for them if necessary as space is limited above the nest boxes.
She is not pooing very much and has lost weight, hence me taking her off 4 times a day. She will not come off for treats of any description. The coop door is open all day.
Will carry on taking her off and hope it ends soon. Thanks everyone.
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kitla
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by kitla »

Just a thought, may be worth checking around the perches for redmite. I wouldnt expect it to be a problem in winter - but hey, nature doesnt always follow the rules! Also if there was some )de: they could be a danger to a broody hen.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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Gwenoakes
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Good thinking Kitla, had not thought of that.
There is very little wood in their hut - walls made of blocks, tiled roof. Perches, nest boxes and rafters are wood along with door/frame and window frame, so will check it out, although not tonight, am too tired, but will look tomorrow evening.
Gwenoakes
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

There is no sign of red mite that I can see and have rubbed my hand along all perches, nest boxes, door frame and rafters and nothing. )t'
She is still broody too. The upside is that another lady is now laying.
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by jaxhen »

Hi Gwenoakes

What a pleasant change to see that a broody is not being 'sin-binned' in a wire cage to 'cool' her down and break the broodiness. If cooling her down did the trick, I would think the weather at the moment would be enough to do that!

When my broodies won't eat or drink, I remove them from the nestbox in the coop and put them in a carrier with food and water in front of them, somewhere quiet and warm. As Bob says, you don't want them losing weight, especially at this time of the year. It makes it more convenient lifting them out several times a day. If they really are sitters, they won't object to being in the carrier. If they aren't serious, it can sometimes break the broodiness.

If they are sitters, you then have to decide how long to leave them in the broody state before you convince them their eggs haven't hatched and then get them back with the rest of the flock. Many of mine give up themselves after 22/23 days and become restless and are quite happy to return to the flock.

Let us know how you get on.
Gwenoakes
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Well she is still broody. LOL Although twice this week so far she has met me at the run gate for treats, so we could be seeing progress, but I am not holding my breath.
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Rosie is out and about more now, but still occasionally insists on sitting for hours on end if not turfed off.
Today has been the longest she has been off the nest and that was almost an hour, so looks like we are ending the broody bit. It has been a month, so about time.
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KarenE
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by KarenE »

Oh I don't know Gwen, when you consider the awful weather we've had over this last month, sitting all day in your cosy nestbox seems very sensible to me! She may not have been broody at all :-D
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Gwenoakes
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Shhhhhh, Karen, how dare you even suggest that of my Rosie? LOL
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

I am sure I can say this with the utmost confidence now. Rosie is no longer broody. YAY.
When she starts to lay again that will be 4 eggs a day from 7 chooks, not too bad for the time of year me thinks.
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Re: Rosie gone broody

Post by Gwenoakes »

Got another broody now, little bit more feisty than Rosie though. She has been wanting to sit for a week now, so same rules apply as used with Rosie, take off next every time I go in coop which is about 4 times a day.
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