Broody hen on roosting pole?

[crissy1079]

So I have a broody hen who is now being broody on the roosting pole after I took her nesting box away. She sits on the pole and growls and puffs her feathers anytime I come in. I’ve taking away her nesting box I’ve dunked her in water for 2 days now 3 times a day for about 3 mins each time. I’m going in taking her off the pole out of the coop as much as I can and she just goes right back. I’m not sure the cage method would work since she is on a roosting pole and I thought the point of the cage was too keep air on her belly area. And on a pole she is getting air on her belly. Any suggestions? She has been on the pole for 2 days before that on the nest for a few days before I completely removed it. I tried just taking her off the nest a lot which worked on my other hens but didn’t work on her. Also the water dunking has worked on my stubborn hens but not on her.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Ice cold water ? Have you tried putting her in a dog crate outside for 2 days ?

Funny how when you want a broody hen you don’t get any and at the times where you can’t care for one you end up getting one...

 

[bruceha2000]

It can take days to break a broody. The longer they have been broody the longer it takes. Not having a nest box helps. I'm surprised she is up on the roost rather than making a nest down on the floor.

 

[Mechtel8989]

Why would dunking a chicken in cold water stop her from being broody

 

[Mckennas poultry]

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/6-ways-to-break-a-broody-hen/


https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/what-exactly-is-a-broody-hen-and-how-to-stop-it/


https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-break-a-broody-hen.65588/

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Why would dunking a chicken in cold water stop her from being broody

It cools their body temperature down.

How would it not break it ?

 

[bruceha2000]

Why would dunking a chicken in cold water stop her from being broody

It is supposed to cool them off. I guess it works for some. However I had a broody that I tried to break by putting refreezable icepacks under her. She thawed 2 in succession and was HOT under her breast. I only use a broody buster box now. 1/2" hardware cloth on all sides, top and bottom, on a stand 3' off the ground.

 

[Mechtel8989]

thanks

 

[crissy1079]

Well the water was not ice cold. Just from the outside hose. Pretty cold though. This is my 4th broody in the past 2 months. The water worked on my silkie it took 2 days and 4 dunks. I’ve given my other broody fertile eggs to hatch. So I can’t have another. And the one sitting on eggs and this last one on the roosting pole being broody are big girl Brahmas. I have the one on eggs in my crate in the coop so I don’t have another crate to put this one in to break her. And she is so big she needs a big crate. I don’t want to buy another. I’m surprised she is not on floor too. She is just up on the lower pole. She usually sleeps on the top pole.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree that it is unusual for a broody to roost. I know these posts were on Friday and if she continues to roost, she is likely no longer broody.
The tried and true method of breaking broodiness used for centuries has been an open bottom cage. Wire bottom now but in earlier times, it was wooden slats or woven cages that allowed air to reach the birds' undersides. Keeping the bird elevated prevents it from plunking down on bedding and keeping the belly warm. Cool air reaching the underside breaks the hormone cycle causing them to want to raise a family. I have a cage specifically for that purpose which sits about 4 inches above the ground. When I was growing up with 100 layers, we had about 4 or 5 homemade cages hanging from the ceiling of the hen house which often had 2 or 3 of them occupied.
If one wants to have breeds like Silkies, Cochins and Brahmas, they accept the fact that they'll need to deal with this situation throughout their birds' lives.