I have two Isa Brown chooks. They both lay nearly every day so we are well kept in eggs. However, about this time each year, one goes clucky, stops laying and stays in the laying box most of the time. The other, sneaks in, lays its egg and gets out again.
Does anyone know how to encourage a clucky chook to get over being clucky?
Kebbin said
06:00 PM Mar 12, 2021
You need to put it in a airy place with no litter, it has to be cooled down to stop it nesting. I used a c*c*ie's cage hung in the open part with shade. It worked a treat on the 2nd day it stopped being clucky, I had heritage chooks, so had quite a few going clucky.
-- Edited by Kebbin on Friday 12th of March 2021 06:01:51 PM
peter67 said
07:09 PM Mar 12, 2021
No offence meant to chook lovers, but Dad always said if the chooks ain't layin just walk past the cage with an axe :)
Dougwe said
09:41 PM Mar 12, 2021
My very X mother in-law once told me to submerge them in a bucket of cold water for 20 seconds then lift them out then repeat 3 times.
I did this and it sure did fix the clucky chook.
It died.
I think I was had.
bilbo said
02:48 PM Mar 13, 2021
Buzz said...
Does anyone know how to encourage a clucky chook to get over being clucky?
Keep her in the ****y cage ON THE GROUND for a few days with water/food /shade ie her feet have to be touching the ground
cheers Bilbo
Craig1 said
05:08 PM Mar 13, 2021
There used to be fake china eggs, put one of those under her
Buzz Lightbulb said
05:14 PM Mar 13, 2021
Craig1 wrote:
There used to be fake china eggs, put one of those under her
She's already got two!
Kebbin said
07:12 PM Mar 13, 2021
The fake eggs are to encourage her to sit not discourage, I have seen some extremely crook chooks in some peoples backyards, sitting on infertile eggs for 4 to 5 weeks full of lice because they won't give up.
Tony LEE said
08:33 AM Mar 14, 2021
Very small cage with a few sticks poked through criss-crossed from side to side so they can't sit down
Takes a few days
Kebbin said
09:26 AM Mar 14, 2021
Tony, I think thats a good option and well worth trying.
TheHeaths said
11:28 AM Mar 14, 2021
Im with Peter67!
Buzz Lightbulb said
02:22 PM Mar 16, 2021
Thank you all for your helpful, and sometimes unhelpful, suggestions. It's been raining lately so I'm a bit slow in implementing some 'helpful' suggestions. However, I've found removing the laying box, after the other unclucky chook has layed, seems to get the clucky chook out and about. Last year her comb and wattles were shrivelled up and pale so I was quite concerned. However, this year she looks a lot healthier.
I'll persevere with limiting her nesting time and if that doesn't work, I'll have to find a cage somewhere.
Thanks again for your suggestions.
Buzz Lightbulb said
05:27 PM Mar 20, 2021
My clucky chook appears to be unclucky for these last two days. I don't know if it's the cooler weather or the method I'm using is working.
I checked the laying box each day at about noon when the other chook should have laid. I move out the clucky chook and remove the egg if one has been laid and then take out the cardboard box that contains the shredded paper. I then propped up the lid of the laying box and this seemed to discourage the clucky chook from going back into the laying box. She now seems to have decided that being clucky isn't as nice as scratching around in the yard.
My method isn't exactly what you have suggested but it seems that if one takes away the incentive for a chook to be clucky then the chook unclucks.
Thanks again for all your advice.
Buzz Lightbulb said
04:15 PM Apr 5, 2021
Even more great news. The clucky chook is not only unclucky but she's also laying eggs. Unless the other chook is now laying two a day.
I have two Isa Brown chooks. They both lay nearly every day so we are well kept in eggs. However, about this time each year, one goes clucky, stops laying and stays in the laying box most of the time. The other, sneaks in, lays its egg and gets out again.
Does anyone know how to encourage a clucky chook to get over being clucky?
You need to put it in a airy place with no litter, it has to be cooled down to stop it nesting. I used a c*c*ie's cage hung in the open part with shade. It worked a treat on the 2nd day it stopped being clucky, I had heritage chooks, so had quite a few going clucky.
-- Edited by Kebbin on Friday 12th of March 2021 06:01:51 PM
I did this and it sure did fix the clucky chook.
It died.
I think I was had.
Buzz said...
Does anyone know how to encourage a clucky chook to get over being clucky?
Keep her in the ****y cage ON THE GROUND for a few days with water/food /shade ie her feet have to be touching the ground
cheers Bilbo
She's already got two!
Takes a few days
I'll persevere with limiting her nesting time and if that doesn't work, I'll have to find a cage somewhere.
Thanks again for your suggestions.
I checked the laying box each day at about noon when the other chook should have laid. I move out the clucky chook and remove the egg if one has been laid and then take out the cardboard box that contains the shredded paper. I then propped up the lid of the laying box and this seemed to discourage the clucky chook from going back into the laying box. She now seems to have decided that being clucky isn't as nice as scratching around in the yard.
My method isn't exactly what you have suggested but it seems that if one takes away the incentive for a chook to be clucky then the chook unclucks.
Thanks again for all your advice.
Even more great news. The clucky chook is not only unclucky but she's also laying eggs. Unless the other chook is now laying two a day.
Thanks again for all the great suggestions.