Please Help Me !

[Chicadede]

Hi, every One...... New to the site and need some advice !

I am at my wits end I have only been keeping chooks since March I have three ( Hybrids) sorry can't think of breed at the moment ( not to sound thick but one is Ginger One is Grey speckled and one is black.... about a week ago ( Black one stopped laying eggs but started to sit on the other's eggs and would not get off them... every day I have to lift her out the box and put her in the garden where she just sits for about 5 mins suddenly she gets up and starts squarking around the garden. Today as I got her out I noticed that her chest is bald her feathers have gone also she will not join the others she just keeps going back to the coop and tries to get back into the laying box ! I picked her up a few times and put her with the others but they are not interested... I feel so sorry for her what is going on ! please can any one let me know what has happened and what can I do about it !

I feel so stupid to ask but I am having sleepless nights know !

Thanks

[elizajay]

It's nothing to worry about, she is broody. A broody hen has a bare chest so that she can keep the eggs warm. You can either give her some fertile eggs to hatch or look under broody hen searches to see how you can discourage her from being broody.

[frias]

I've got a broody too. I don't want to hatch eggs. (Well actually I would love to but know I couldn't deal with any cockerels that hatched.) This is the 5th time my ex-batt has gone broody and sometimes my attempts at stopping her work and sometimes they don't. She will get over it eventually after about 3 or 4 weeks but it's better for her if she can be persueded not to be broody as she will lose weight and not have any babies at the end unless you get some fertile eggs for her.
Welcome to the vine by the way!

[Chicadede]

A big Thanks

Phew ! thanks for the advise ! One more Q: Should I continue taking her out the nesting or just leave her ?

[di]

Phew ! thanks for the advise ! One more Q: Should I continue taking her out the nesting or just leave her ?

Do you fancy letting her have chicks?
If the answer to the above is yes,then move her somewhere separate from the others & get yourself some fertile eggs...lots of threads on here about broody hens hatching eggs.
If no,then probably your best bet is to keep moving her off the nest box & take away any eggs as soon as you possibly can...some are more persistent than others though,so she may get back to normal fairly quickly or you may have to try other methods.
Good Luck with whichever you choose!

[Hans Mum]

one of mine went broody a couple of weeks ago, just make sure you take the eggs out asap and keep lifting her out, she's just about getting over it now

[HayleyB]

The easiest way to discourage broodiness is to put her somewhere for a couple of days that has no nesting potential, bare concrete is ideal, making sure she is eating and drinking. Boring for her and hard but should be effective

And welcome to the madvine loads of chooky people here and very helpful they are too....