HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Break my broody hen - Page 2

Using a raised cage 3'X5' made from 1/2" hardware cloth worked for me. I was out of town for about 3 days before I could put her in Jail. I gave her water and food and left her in there for 5 days. I was planning on keeping her in there for a whole week but she got out on good behavior by not ruffeling her feathers and standing/walking around in the cage.

All you have to do is put her in a small coop and give her water only for about four days, no feed.

Works almost every time.

Well, one of my hens has ended her broody stage after months of issues and another one kicked in.  After giving her 2 cold baths and that not breaking her we decided to get some (9) fertile Blue/Blue Splash Marans eggs for her to sit on.  Needless to say, she is thrilled.  We moved her to her own pen and nest as others were pick on her a ton since she would not get off the nest.  Now she is nestled down on the eggs and doing good.  I cannot wait to see how good a mother she is when they start hatching.

Left: Cutsie (Comet) climbing on top of Stripes (Barred    Right: Zucchini (Barred Rock) that just finished

Rock) to get her out of the nest so she can start setting.  her broody stage.

After 20 days of being on the nest, a tornado coming through and throwing mama and the eggs off the nest, losing one egg and 100 degree days on July 4, 2012 6 of the 8 remaining hatched.  Maybe the other two will hatch tomorrow.  Here is a peek at one of the chicks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by twocrowsranch 

I was having the same trouble with breaking my broody girl this past week. And caging her was not working. So I filled up a large tub of cold water and soaked her in it for 5 full mins! She was good for about 5 hours and I caught her back in the nest box growling at me and guarding her fake egg. So she got another "broody soak". And this time it worked!! She has been broody free for one and a half days. She is back to eating again, which she had stopped doing and is now hanging out with the girls instead of dreaming of baby chicks!

 

Edit to add: During broodiness, the hens temperature rises and by soaking the broody, lowers her temp and her hormones tell her she is not warm enough to brood chicks. 

 

Good luck!

this did not work for me , nor did the cage..took me a month to break her with blocking her from the nests day and night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted n Ms 

All you have to do is put her in a small coop and give her water only for about four days, no feed.

Works almost every time.

:( this is not good, it starts the molt. this is what they do when the big egg producers want the chickens to molt fast and get back to laying eggs. starve  a chicken ?? I hope not :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlamaria 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted n Ms 

All you have to do is put her in a small coop and give her water only for about four days, no feed.

Works almost every time.

:( this is not good, it starts the molt. this is what they do when the big egg producers want the chickens to molt fast and get back to laying eggs. starve  a chicken ?? I hope not :(

i have to agree. you are starving a living animal? animal cruelty? there are much less crueler ways to break a broody!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jallny 

i have to agree. you are starving a living animal? animal cruelty? there are much less crueler ways to break a broody!!

Wow!  I could never starve an animal, especially not when broody is a natural thing for them.  I am much happier (and so is my hen) with giving her some fertile eggs to sit on and hatch.  She has turned out to be one amazing mama!!!

I am not sure how this would work anyway, she ate so little once she became broody anyhow.  I actually had to put the food close enough for her to nibble at it throughout the day because she would not get up at all until potty time.

Our little Pekin got broody a while ago and although we were constantly moving from the nest box, encouraging her to eat and move around for treats etc, she just continued to try to make a nest and sit.  She ended up getting a bit smelly so we decided to give a bath.  Sat her in a washing-up bowl of cool, but not cold water, and really washed her belly and legs off properly.  She wasn't particularly impressed to start with but then actually seemed to enjoy the attention a bit.  It cooled her down, and she huddled up afterwards to get dry of course.  However, improvement was seen almost straightaway and from the next day she was back out grazing and pecking.  From start to finish it lasted a couple of weeks, but in hindsight I might have liked to try the bath earlier!

Hope yours is back laying soon for you.