My broody hen

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6buffchickens

6buffchickens

Hatching
Jan 25, 2015
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I have a chicken and she is being broody. Someone suggested that I cool down her body temperature by putting her in cool water but she's still broody. She has started to pluck her feathers so she can be closer to the eggs. She won't leave the nesting box so I have to lock her out so she will eat. Her crest has started to shrivel I would get her chicks but I'm afraid my 5 other chickens will peck them. She raised the 5 other chickens from chicks because when we first got chickens five of them were attacked and killed by a bear and she was very lonely so we got five new chicks and they were happy. This is the first time she's been broody and I need some help so she will stop being broody.
 
My recent experience with a broody hen was resolved rather quickly once I tried this method. My well-summer hen had gone broody and no matter what I tried inside the hen house, she would return to the nesting box and brood. I have a cat kennel that we use to take our cats to the vet and decided to isolate her in the kennel with food and water...no nesting materials inside...just a hard plastic floor. I kept the kennel in the hen house with her inside for a long afternoon and into the evening. When I put the the hens up that night, I let her out. The next day she had re-assimilated herself with the flock and the brooding STOPPED. I was amazed yet very pleased how easy this was.

Dirk Leisure
 
Cooling in water is an old-timer remedy, but there are disagreements about its efficacy, and you can cause other problems by submersing hens in water, especially during winter. The more preferred method, if you can, is to confine her for a period of time in a "broody-breaker" which is usally a small enclosure with a wire bottom that allows her to get air up under her and remove the brooding instinct. She still needs access to food and water, and 2-3 days does the trick with most hens. Sometimes, the longer she has been allowed to act broody will correspond to a longer "breaking time." Search "breaking broody" on this forum and you will find a great deal of information and recommendations.
 
Thank you guys so much but today she stopped being broody and is hanging out with the other chickens. I guess the cool water method worked!
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