How to stop broody hen?

My BCM is going broody but there are no eggs to sit on?? I mean, I've let some go before when I'm allowing a hatch but in this case she is setting on zero eggs LOL... She has stopped laying and will not come out of the box. Weird. I take her out but she goes right back in. I guess I'm just venting because it seems this post covers all the techniques but I'm all ears for any suggestions. I'm going to go block her in the front yard today... Hopefully it helps.

I'm glad I found this discussion. I have 20 hens and four are broody right now. I have a Buff Orpington that just set and hatched 10 chicks for me. She raised them and then went right back to the nest again. She was a good mother and I couldn't get her back to laying and normal again. So I placed 6 duck eggs under her. Since my ducks seem to have no interest in setting or staying near the eggs they drop all over the place I figured since she wants to set she can give me some more ducks.

I have another hen that went broody but won't return to the right nest every time she stretches her legs and gets some food and water. I need her laying as she's one of two hens that lay the blue eggs. I tried the dunking in cold water thing but she shakes it off and heads right for the nest again (wrong one, naturally). I need to break her so I'll get a wire cage as the general consensus seems to be that's the best way.

So far the Buff and two others have hatched another 21 chicks this year and the two setting now are working on another 16 eggs plus the duck eggs.

By the way, everything I've read about keeping broodies and raising chicks so far doesn't seem to work or hold true. My broodies are kept in the henhouse with all the rest of the flock during the broody period as well as after they hatch. The roosters and the other hens seem to have no issues with them running around or being in the coop. All my chickens free range and I have a couple younger hens that have never raised chicks that seem to hang with the new mothers and chicks and act like nannys scratching up stuff for them. Go figure!

Thanks for the advice.
trainman

Please someone help!!!! I have a broody hen that I can't break. She is in a wire dog crate with no bed, but very fine wire over the bottom of the dog crate so she can stand and such. She has been in there for a week and I can't break her. I let her out to dust bath and I give them good treats when she is out trying to convince her it's better out side but no she bathes and goes back into the coop an in a box with no eggs. Is there anything else I can do?

And her dog crate is up off the ground so air can flow.

I used a couple of different methods for stopping a broody hen. 1) Take her off of the nest every (or almost every) time she sits down. I have found that this doesn't work very well for my hens, and just causes more stress for her. 2) Dunk her in ice cold water up to her saddle (or almost there). Hold for 3-5 minutes. This may have to be repeated. She won't go to the nest right away, so you may have to wait about 20 minutes to really see if it worked. Also check the feathers and the personality. 3) This is my favorite. You will need an old dog crate of something similar. Put wire mesh slightly above the cage floor, and at an angle. Put a roosting bar in also. Then add a food and water dish for the hen. The hen cannot nest here, and when left for a couple of days will begin to stop brooding. It may take a couple of tries and a few egg-less weeks, but it works on most hens. Try them all and see what works best for you.

I have 2 Australorps and both went broody after laying for just 2 weeks. I decided to put some eggs under them as this sounded like a kinder method. Not so. They hatched the eggs and then after only 4 weeks, starting pecking relentlessly at the 6 chicks that we kept. Both hens laid again a week later. Happy days - until today - both gone broody again!! Definitely trying the cage method!

I have aseel she went broody I tryed everything I read on byc she sat on eggs till they popped then I cleaned her cage then she had more eggs about wk later help need more ideas I don't want the hen to die she has been broody for 4 monthsi keep vitamins in her water probiotics in the water also with electrolyte she is eating and drinking not everyday but is eating

I tried letting my broody hatch some eggs. But she forgets which nest she is in and may get on one with just a wood nest egg and go to setting. She is in a metal bottom pen for the next several days