Broody Pekin

[elmwood]

Hello,

Its all happening, and I am sorry for posting so much recently..... As if we havn't got enough going on, our Lavender Pekin has definately gone Broody. Now from what I have read, this is not a positive thing. She is so irritable and her chest is so hot. She it pulling her chest feathers out and is flat out on the floor of the nest box. I literally have to pick her up and close the house so that she gets some fresh air, a drink and food..... Within minutes she is pacing to return and becomes very agitated. It is also distressing for the other two as they can't seem to get a look in to lay comfortably.

I don't really know whether to leave her be, afterall its nature at work, and whom am I to ague.....I havn't the experience to make a decision and would welcome any advice please. In the meantime, as I don't want her sitting on the others eggs, which she is trying do do, I popped a golf ball in the nest which is now underneath her. Should I be moving her to brood elsewhere?

She started laying 6 weeks ago, and right from the off, she has been the mama of the three. Is it worth ordering some eggs for her to sit on? I think I read somewehere that Pekins or bantams don't usually sit for the three weeks and lose interest after a week?

Many thanks for any assistance,
Sharron

 

[pebojuno]

Hi Sharron,
It depends whether you want some chicks or not really! If you do, pekins are usually excellent broodies but as she is quite young she might give up early- I took the risk with one of my young pullets and she hatched out two lovely chicks! If you want to do this I'd move her somewhere she can't be bothered by the others (also they can still lay in peace )

If you don't want chicks/ don't have room for them you need to "break her" of the broodiness - just moving her somewhere else may do this- or some people suggest putting the bird in a wire bottom cage so she can't get too cosy. They can be very stubborn though- my pullet sat stubbornly for 2 weeks before I gave up and got her eggs!

Trouble with broody hens is you never get one when you need one- I've got two incubators full of eggs, would like to have a hen hatch some more of my fertile eggs out and none of my girls are broody!

Nicky

 

[elmwood]

Thanks Nicky,

Everything you say, and what I've managed to read this afternoon comes down to the question you ask, do we want chicks or not? My head says no, but of course my heart says yes please!!

I have moved her to our spare box, and placed the golf ball in it, which she has duly sat on. I have also made sure she has been out and about. she is disrupting the rest of the flock, they havn't even laid themselves today due to her antagonism towards them. So at least they should now get some peace. If she were to sit it through, at least its the right time of year for chicks to have a chance.

What a dilemma! I have only had hens for seven weeks, and what a steep learning curve, given we have introduced two newcomers both last and this weekend....which hasn't been easy to say the least.

Out of all our girls, I think Lavender would make an excellent mother, and is clearly taking it all very seriously so far.....

Will have to give the matter a little more thought....

Thankyou, Sharron

 

[Anonymous]

I've never had a broody Pekin give up, think they'd rather die than stop to be honest, no matter how young they were once they'd made up their minds that was that.

I've tried a few times to break them but I gave up before them, they can be very dogged, in the end I just give them eggs to hatch, seems so much easier!

 

[elmwood]

Hi,

Thanks Cuckoomad. It really is that simple isn't it.

Seems so wrong for me to stop her from doing what mother nature intended her to do. Mike is adament we can't cope with anymore... especially as we are still settling in our latest two girls. But we have now agreed, if we can't break it, then I'll be ordering some eggs......

Whats lovely though is the other 4 girls meander and sit around the run we have the broody hen in. Everyone seems concerned.

We are trying Tims method, number 3:-
http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/frequently-asked-questions/how-can-i-stop-a-hen-from-being-broody.html


Havn't put wire on the floor of the ark, but there is no bedding and she only goes in at night. She was straight back out this morning, (day 2), and her comb does look a little brighter.....We'll suck and see!

Sharron

 

[dawn]

I've got a broody Pekin too, started over the weekend and she's very determined. I can't shut her out of the henhouse for long as the other lays there. We did try on Sunday, but she just settled down to brood in a corner - on bare concrete. We keep picking her up and wandering around the garden with her, she grumbles the whole time and eventually struggles to be put down then runs very fast back to the feeder, gobbles some food then back to the nest. Much as I'd love a few more hens I can't risk having cockerals as we already have one and I just couldn't bring myself to cull spare ones, so letting her have some eggs isn't an option.

I might try the dunking rear end in water trick next weekend. I did think about putting her in the cat basket for a day but it does seem harsh and on performance so far she'd probably just go broody there anyway. Other than that I suppose I'll just have to leave her until she decides to stop.

 

[elmwood]

Hi Dawn,

I have every empathy with you and your hen.

They are so very determined arn't they. Lavender, is still pacing up and down the spare run, and the others are keeping her company lining up alongside her outside of the run. Its like a vigil !

I was also advised to dunk her in water,it may even come to that yet....

 

[dawn]

Let us know if you try the rear end in water one Sharron, I'll let you experiment first Mine is now jumping on the other hen's egg as soon as it's laid ..... We tried shutting her in the porch yesterday for an hour to distract her, stayed with her and fed her grapes but she was so agitated that we gave in and put her back on the nest. I do wish I could let her have a few eggs to hatch

 

[elmwood]

Oh Dawn, you sound as guilty as me. Our Lavender is still pacing up and down, but the sun has come out and the other two Pekins have joined her, pressed up against the netting on the run. Talk about sisterley love.... we are giving her one more day to cool down, and after that guess its the water bucket....





Sharron

 

[elmwood]

hello,

Am very pleased to report all is well and calm once more. Lavender is no longer broody, at least for now.
After her third day in the isolated run, pacing up and down she must have decided enough was enough.

However, the neighbours dog, must have gotten a tail wind of chicken aroma. It was head and shoulders above the dividing fence, eyeing up the girls. As a result of his efforts to get to them, we had to move the ark and run yet again. Lavender escaped from her confinement. Whether it was the commotion or shock she didn't even attempt to run to her nest box. Instead she rounded all 5 up and the foraging re-commenced after a fraught few days!-Another climb on the learning curve.

Dawn- I am so relieved to have not resorted to the bucket of water, (this time) please let me know how you get on with your hen.

 

[dawn]

Oh I'm jealous Sharron, still very broody here and we've now got problems with the other hen, see my post in chicken health.

Yours look so sweet keeping Lavendar company. I haven't got a spare house and run so can't try that. I'm seriously thinking of trying to find one cheap though for broodys and isolation as I've feared I'd need both over the last few days.