Broody pullet...

I have raised chickens all my life, (I'm nearly 60!) so I'm fairly experienced with raising chickens. However, I've always had roosters and totally free-range systems, so I've never had to deal with a broody hen. My current little flock are still free ranging, but on a smaller scale, and I have no rooster. I have a very young Cochin Bantam that has laid about a dozen eggs so far. But she has become insistently broody, so I separated her from the others, (put her in a large cage, a bit off the ground for air circulation), took away any nesting materials and gave her food and water. The cage I have her in is inside the enclosure with my other hens. This is now day 3 and she acts just as broody as ever. She gets frantic at night, wanting to roost with the other hens. But the most troubling thing is that I do not believe she has eaten anything these three days. My questions are: 1) Should I move her completely out of the enclosure, away from the other hens? and 2) Is there a way to encourage her to eat? I'm afraid if she goes much longer, she'll starve herself to death!! Any advice is welcome!

I think you've done the right thing. I'd let her out at dusk and put her on the roost with the others and I bet she'll wake up hungry. 3 days of the broody cage is usually more than enough.

ChickenCanoe said:

I think you've done the right thing. I'd let her out at dusk and put her on the roost with the others and I bet she'll wake up hungry. 3 days of the broody cage is usually more than enough.

Click to expand...

And if she goes back to setting, put her back in the broody cage tomorrow and put her back on the roost tomorrow night. Repeat if necessary until she gives up. Understand that she will be constantly going broody - it's the nature of the breed.

X2
Without fertile eggs, you'll be going through this often.

Thank you. I will put her on the roost tonight, and see how she does tomorrow. I hope she will be over this "broody" stage by then!

That's what I'm afraid of actually. I didn't really want to get a rooster; don't want a flock any bigger than the one I have. But I may have to change my plans! I just love that little hen. She is so sweet and gentle. But didn't really want to raise any more right now, esp. this time of year! Fixin' to be cold!