My hen keeps going broody on me!

[sarah92480]

Ok, I have 4 hens and one of them keeps going broody. She has done this 3 times in the last 3 months. I have no rooster, and I don't want to go get a chick(s) for her to raise. I have tried cold baths, I have tried confinement. Each time I've confined her she goes back to normal in about 3 days but this is getting really old. Does anyone have any tips and/or tricks that will make her stop this behavior for good? Or for at least the rest of this season? haha...any info would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thanks in advance!

 

[five is my dog]

I have had the same expirience. i didnt want chicks either. i booted her off the nest and she didnt set but later i regreted it. i would let her raise 1-2 chicks that will stop her broodines. but a hen like that will find a way to set. now i am dying for a broody!

. its best to let a hen go broody at least once. sorry i couldnt give the advice you wanted.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Broody hens go broody, its what they do. Sit, hatch, raise, lay, repeat. There's is no way to stop her. Deal with it, or get rid of her :/

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Wow, that sounds a little snarky. But, it's not meant to be. That's just the way they are. What breed is your perpetually broody hen?

 

[five is my dog]

Wow, that sounds a little snarky. But, it's not meant to be. That's just the way they are. What breed is your perpetually broody hen?

Broody hens go broody, its what they do. Sit, hatch, raise, lay, repeat. There's is no way to stop her. Deal with it, or get rid of her

she is very right i would just let her do her thing give her some golf balls and after a week or so put some chicks under her. howfunkyisurchicken is very right!

 

[sarah92480]

Well, im not interested in getting any more chickens, so that's not an option. Im more worried about her starving herself while trying to hatch nothing and i dont want her to die trying. Im not getting rid of her either. I know there are a few ways to stop it or at least slow it down, i just wondered if there were any new things i could try. She is a black sex link.

 

[five is my dog]

i would put her in the wire cage for 3 days with food and water but no where to nest just a bar to roost on. then soak her in cool not cold water for 5 min. put her back in the cage for one more day then soak her again. if se goes broody again do what howfunkyisurchicken said give her same babies or get rid of her. i would gladly take her!!!!!

 

[logansgranny]

I have an Orpington doing the same thing!!!

 

[Ann10]

I started keeping chickens in February with 2 buff orpington pullets. When they started to lay, one of them showed broodiness signs off and on but took 2 months or so to go full-on broody. I gave her 2 chicks and she was a great mother for about 3.5 weeks but has now almost completely abandoned them and is starting to show signs of going broody again. Interestingly, she laid eggs the entire time except for her 3.5 weeks of being super mom (yes, she would set on the nest for 10 hours straight and lay an egg just to have something to sit on). I live in a residential area and have no need to be constantly raising chicks. Assuming my two 6 week old chicks are pullets, I am set for now. If they end up being roosters, I suppose I could let her raise more chicks, but this will need to end soon. I also work and cannot devote the extra time to monitoring broody hens and newly hatched chicks regularly. Perhaps I could let her go to a farm that needs broody hens...

 

[nuttyboo]

There are breeds that go broody and working girl breeds, unfortunately yours is a stay at home mom so to speak. I picked my breeds for production, hoping my EE will sit on a nest maybe??

Sorry your having troubles