update on 'sulky' chicken Mo

[crisgal]

just a quick update for those who advised.
i have spoken to the farm we got her from last year. They say that a fertilised egg won't do any good at this late stage as she is nearing the time when she'll come off the nest.
She aid that she just leaves them when they're brooding and me taking her to her food and water could mean she'll do it for longer.
Apparantly, they can do it every spring time as that's when they'd hatch their eggs - poor thing!
The lady said that hopefully she'll be back to normal in a week or two. I miss her and her eggs!
It seems that us moving her to her new house was just coincidence and she's have done this anyway.So she wasn't sulky at all - just being a chicken!

[ladybirder]

Thanks for the update crisgal. Keep us posted. Will you get her a companion as they are social creatures and like company?

[wolf63]

Try words of encouragement 'stock', 'sweet and sour' 'roast' - maybe it will cheer her up.

It is horrible when animals can't tell you what they want. My tom cat Frankie is easy to understand and I just do as he demands. His sister Merlin just sits beside me going 'eek, eek' with her usual vacant look on her face.

I hope that Mo gets better soon. ;-)

[Kleiber]

I, too have a broody hen. It's quite sad as she hasn't got a cockerel with her and so she's sitting on infertile eggs. I just take her off the nest every day & remove the eggs (they're ok to eat, so long as you do it daily). You could try putting a couple of fertile eggs under her - if she senses that they're developing, she'll continue to sit. Kx

[crisgal]

we took her off today, as she hasn't drank or eaten for two days and she looks so thin and bedraggled. She went absolutely MENTAL!! I've never heard squarks - sqwarks (how on earth do you spell it??) like that in my life. I bet the neighbours thought she was being done in!
Can't blame her really as she believes there are eggs there. Poor thing.
We've cleaned the coop and changed the straw, so hopefully that'll encourage her out. Fingers crossed.

[Barmaid]

I still think meal worms are the way forwards. As a veteran chicken keeper of 8 days, I believe that meal worms are the solution to all my problems!!

Seriously though Crisgal, good luck with her.

[crisgal]

hi barmaid, yes we got her some worms. She did peck at a few and went back in.
A few weeks ago, i only had to rattle the tub and she's run to me. I'm sure she'll be back to herself soon. thanks x