broody hen

[crumptz]

My hen has gone broody. I haven't any roosters so this is just a waste of time! I read the thread on using a dog crate... but alas I only have a plastic one, not a wire one. Should I confine her to that or should I try something else?

 

[Laci7210]

Well, are you wanting her to stop sitting or hatch some fertile eggs? My hen went broody and began sitting on unfertile eggs. I had to move the chickens to a new pen and I couldn't leave her there so I just simply picked her up and moved her along with the other hens. She did try to get back to where her eggs were for the first few hours but then she just forgot about them and she hasn't gone broody since. I was hoping that she would take in my chicks that were coming in a week from 'move-day', but I guess she had already gave up on raising chicks

If you wanted her to hatch some eggs, maybe slip some fertile eggs under her at night? Or some already hatched chicks? I'm not sure if a plastic crate will work or not. I hope this helped answer your question!

 

[A Chicken Owner]

If you want her to stop being broody, seperate her from the eggs for a day or two

 

[crumptz]

She isn't sitting on any eggs! She just keeps on sitting. I keep chucking her off the nest. I have locked her out of the one nest and she just moved to another one. I have locked her out of the run area entirely for hours and she just goes back again when let in. Now, I put her in a plastic dog crate. Its super gross since she is going to the bathroom all over it and has no where else to go. I am completely frustrated. Any help would be great. I can not buy another dog crate that is metal and I don't have anyone who has a rabbit cage so I'm stuck

 

[Laci7210]

Something that will probably work would be give her some chicks

I don't know why she is doing that, though. I wonder why she is sitting on no eggs...? I haven't ever had a hen do that before. Maybe try leaving her in the dog crate, then turning her back out? I have heard of people picking up the hen off of the nest and carrying it around for about 20 minutes then setting her back down and maybe she won't go back? I hope you find something that works!!

 

[crumptz]

So, I locked her out of the hen house entirely. Just walked out to look and she has made a nest on the ground in the run and is sitting there. I put in a head of cabbage and she won't get up for that either. This is so frustrating! I left her in the dog crate for half a day- no use.

 

[Bush Chickens]

mine sat in an empty nest box all day. she wouldnt go to bed,so we brought her into the basement,gave her some eggs,and shes on day 15 of mommy time. And that very night a fox came,and if she had been in the nest box,she wouldnt be here. So VERY broody broodies will sit on anything. I doubt you can break her if she is that broody.