Possible broody

I think I might possibly have a broody hen and I'm torn between breaking her or getting her some hatching eggs

Either that or she was laying and I'm just being a jerk.

I've taken her off the nest twice, once last night when everyone else was on the roosts, and once this afternoon. I'm thinking she's broody based on the fact she was on it after dark but yeah. I think I'll put some ceramic eggs out and see if she is or not

And I think it's the same hen that went broody in the fall before she was even a year old (they were hatched October 26th, 2015) but I'm not sure.

Edited to correct the year, definitely not hatched 2016 lol pretty sure that'd be a record )

Broodys can be a disruptive pain, or a blessing. I personally break most of mine, but do put a few to work hatching each year.

Do you have a plan for the roosters that you will get? Are you able to separate you setting hen out, but within sight of the flock while broody and during the first week or two after hatch?

Not all broody hens make good mothers, are you prepared to brood the chicks? Just a few things to consider to help you make your decisions.

How do you break a broody hen. I have one that's been broody for over two weeks.

Mountaineer said:

How do you break a broody hen. I have one that's been broody for over two weeks.

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Generally you need to put them in a wire bottomed crate, slightly elevated off the ground to chill your hens bottom off which shuts down the hormones. 3-5 days is the usual time it takes. Sometimes just moving them elsewhere can work, as well as blocking their nesting site, but these don't work for all of them.

Thanks. I've sprayed her breast and bottom with a garden hose a couple of times and I've locked her out of the coop and nest boxes for most of a day but she heads for the nest box at the first opportunity. How long does a hen stay broody if you do nothing?

Mountaineer said:

Thanks. I've sprayed her breast and bottom with a garden hose a couple of times and I've locked her out of the coop and nest boxes for most of a day but she heads for the nest box at the first opportunity. How long does a hen stay broody if you do nothing?

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You need to consistently keep her in the crate for the full 3 days for it to work, stubborn ones take 5 days. Hens will stay broody for 4-12 weeks depending on the hen. Eventually they get so depleted it breaks the broodiness. It's better to crate them for 3-5 days. External parasites can get out of control too as they sit. I have also penned them directly on concrete. Wetting them down does nothing but gets them wet.

@KDOGG331 are you sure she's broody or just hiding out due to crowding/pecking order/etc?
I don't take hens off nests unless I'm sure they're broody, some take longer to lay and/or lay late in day.

@Mountaineer the longer you let them set, the longer they may take to break.
Agrees with OHLD, wetting the belly only gets you a wet bellied hen....
...and you know what they say about wet hens being mad..haha!


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 broodiness 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(you don't have to) 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.

Thanks. I'm sure she's broody. It's been over two weeks that she doesn't lay and she sits all day and all night in the nesting box. If I lift her out she will squat for a few seconds then take off running and begin to do whatever the others are doing. But, she goes right back to the nest after a few minutes. I don't want any more chickens. I have eight and that's plenty. I'll take your advice and OHLD's and put her in a wire crate. I'll let you know what happens. Again, thanks.

Thanks, I'm going to follow your and Flock Master's advice and put her in a wire crate.