Broody Wyandotte - new chicken owner

[Charlotte68]

I have 12 pullets of varying breeds, all hatched last July/22. Got our first egg Dec 10th. I think all were laying by mid February-but that’s a guess. I have two golden Wyandottes. One seems to be going broody. Looking back it seems there were signs about a week or so ago, I just didn’t know any better. She started making a funny sound, which I think you all call the dinosaur sound. When periodically checking for eggs I could gently reach under any girl sitting and gather any eggs under her. But now not the Wyandotte-she seriously pecked me and yelled at me. Yesterday I noticed most of the times I went to check check on everyone, she was still in nest, but I wasn’t sure since I have another girl that looks exactly the same. Went out last night around 9 PM and she was still in nest. Went out this morning and there she was again. I took her out to the run and locked her out of coop. She stayed all fluffed up and is making a constant cluck, cluck sound. She ate and drank. I had to open door for other pullets to gain access to nests. She didn’t go in, but when I went back to check about 30 minutes later she was back on nest. Yesterday she laid an egg because I happened to get a total of 12 eggs, but oddly one extra tiny one for a total of 13, but I only have 12 pullets. Ive got a puzzle here! To make matters worse, I think I’ve got another pullet who may be going broody. She gave me the same dinosaur screech, and when I went back to check, she had laid an egg but had moved over a nest spot. I picked her up and put her out to run-she has so far stayed out. I have no roosters. So…is she broody, and should I just keep trying to convince her to stay out of nest? I saw the dog crate method mentioned, but right now I don’t have one. This part of chickening is new to me since I’ve only been at this since last July. I appreciate any feedback. Thank you very much.

 

[sourland]

She's broody. I'd 'break' her if she were mine.

 

[Yardmom]

Not having a rooster will not affect if a hen is going to go broody or not. If a healthy chicken who is not being bullied is in the nest at night they are more than likely broody. Your girl sounds broody

 

[Charlotte68]

Oh yes, I did understand that about the rooster, I was just sharing in case anyone was wondering if I had a rooster or not. Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it!

 

[Mrs. K]

Wait two weeks, go to the local farm store and get a couple of pullet chicks, slip them under her...Nothing is more fun than a hen with chicks, Just saying! ;-)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Get a dog crate (very useful tool for chicken keepers) or borrow one, or if you have anything that's similar it should work as well. I've broken with dog crates, dog exercise pens, my brooder, a turned over tea cart with chicken wire walls... the bird just needs to be safely kept away from the nest around the clock with food and water until it breaks, usually around 48 hrs if you begin immediately but possibly as long as 4 -6 days.

 

[aart]

Get a dog crate (very useful tool for chicken keepers)

Yes!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/foldable-wire-dog-crates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

Here's how I break my broodies:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[Ridgerunner]

is she broody,

My test to see if a hen is truly broody and deserves eggs to hatch is that she needs to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. Not one night but two consecutive. There are a lot of other signs she might be broody but I count on that two consecutive before I give her eggs. But from your description, she is broody. Not sure about the second one.

should I just keep trying to convince her to stay out of nest?

So you do not want her to hatch eggs or raise chicks. The most effective way I've found to break a committed broody hen is to house her in an elevated pen with a wire bottom. Give her food and water but nothing that looks like a nest. The air under her feathers seems to cool her bottom and facilitate breaking her. Many people use a dog cage with a wire bottom because it is easier than building something. Set it up on blocks or hang it from the ceiling. I leave mine locked in there for 72 hours. That's usually enough but occasionally I have to leave one in longer.

I built my brooder inside the coop with a 1/2" hardware cloth floor. When brooding chicks I put a piece of plywood over part of the floor. It's easy to clean, I just tilt the plywood and rake it off. It stays perfectly dry. Without that plywood it is a great broody buster. I've used it as a hospital pen or to separate a chicken that needs to be separated for a while. I'm confident your goals are different from mine but if you decide to build something to use as a broody buster you might consider making it multifunctional.

I think I’ve got another pullet who may be going broody.

It sounds like this one might be considering going broody but has not switched over to fully committed mode yet. She may never. Sometimes you can stop a hen from switching to committed by tossing her off of the nest. You don't want to do that when she is on there laying an egg so use some judgment. I do this when I'm locking them in at night. Also, don't allow eggs to stay in thee coop overnight, removing them more often than once a day could help if it is convenient. This does not always work for sure but I think it can help stop one that is not yet fully broody.

 

[Charlotte68]

Update:
No more broody pullet! I went out about every hour and gently plucked her out of nest and put her in the run. At night I did the chicken waltz with her in front of nests (to keep her from getting into a nest) until she gave up and climbed up onto the roost. Next day she was kind of mad and made her cluck cluck cluck sound most of the day, but didn’t go back to nest. Next day she had normal, not broody behavior! I’m not sure if she’s laid an egg yet.