Breaking a broody hen in winter

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Amira

Amira

In the Brooder
May 11, 2015
19
0
22
Upstate New York
We are working on a broody buster. We are going to put a dog crate in the coop. I read to elevate it and just use a wire bottom crate so air can flow. How high does it have to be though and do you put some wire over the crate bottom so the spaces aren't so large? Is just a few inches off the ground ok?

It will be in the teens tonight. Will she stay warm enough by herself? Normally she snuggles up with her pal at night to stay warm.

I do not let her out to free range at all, right? She stays in the crate for 3 days/nights with just food and water then I let her out and observe, correct?
 
Just a few inches off the floor is fine, I'm not sure about add wire to the bottom, my broody box actually doesn't have a wire bottom, but I have poles close together so they have to roost and can't sit tight. Most will not sit down after just being moved to a different location.

3-5 days, give food and water, you can let them out if you can keep them out of wherever they were sitting. My bantam I just block the nest after the whole flock ends up broody. You just need to keep them from heating up. Your hen will be fine at those temperatures. I will release mine after they stop making those irritating noises they make.
 
Yes when I tried that it didn't really work the hen still was broody and continued for another month.
The best way to break a broody is to put them in a pen with a rooster. Until she stops her broodiness.Or when she stops being fat and making purring sounds.
This worked for me I would have a broody hen throw her in the broody pen and once I saw an egg I would let her out back with her friends.
The rooster makes them submit so they go back to normal.
Also in the spring broodiness is CONTAGIOUS so when you have 1 it will turn into like 3-5 depending on the breed and how many chickens you have.
I would have up to 10 hens in the broody pen and they would go back to normal in about a week depending on how far the broodiness had gone. The sooner you catch her broody the quicker the affect.
Hope this helps

BCP
 

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