Broody Black Australorp

My Black Australorp hen is broody for the first time. I do not have a mature rooster, so none of the eggs have been fertilized. If I continue taking the eggs out from under her, will she eventually stop hanging out in the empty nesting box. I have been taking her out and placing her by the food and water, I don't know if she is eating and drinking on her own, and she will eat for about a minute and go back in her empty box. If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears. TIA

As there is no hope of her hatching eggs at this point it would be more beneficial to employ an effective method of breaking the broodiness -- removing the eggs will not have that effect as a broody hen will happily set an empty nest. There are several methods, but the one I prefer is the "broody buster" - simply a cage, with a wire bottom, that is elevated to allow air flow under her -- place the bird, no bedding, feed and water in the cage. Leave her in the cage for a few days and then let her out to see if she goes back to nest or decides she has snapped out of the broody mindset -- if she is still broody, put her back in for a few more days.

Well, you could get some fertile eggs from someone else.


You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have or can you get some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? She may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

Thank you both! I have put her in a wire rabbit cage in the barn with some food and water. She threw a fit for about 20 min or so and then settled down. I would love for her to hatch some eggs, but I don't know anyone that has fertile eggs. I am planning on keeping the rooster with the girls for now, and if she gets broody again, I will let her hatch them and see how it goes. I have plenty of room to fence off part of the barn for a 'nursery' and if I get more Roos, I will either sell them or butcher them, but keep my original for more chickens (hopefully pullets) because I donate extra eggs to the local soup kitchen.