Broody????

[kaycor02]

Hi all, I am new to having chickens........so, I am hoping for a little help.

It all started when I adopted a rescue chicken. She was pretty beat up, but is now doing really well with alot of TLC. So, I liked her so much, I bought 4 10 month old hens from someone trying to downsize. My husband built a beautiful coop and large yard and everyone is laying daily and seems very happy.

Two days ago I noticed one of my hens just sitting in her nesting box for hours at a time. She rarely gets up to eat or hang out with the other hens. She has been laying daily, and I collect her eggs, but she won't get up. She doesn't seem ill or anything. I read a little about hens getting "broody", but I don't really know anything about it. Any info would be great! I just want to make sure she is okay.........we just love our new chickens.

Thanks!

 

[FrozenChicken]

Well if she's broody and you wants some little chicks I would separate her and give her some fertile eggs. Give her a small run of her own and provide food and water and in 3 weeks you will have some little chicks. If you want her to go out of brood you will have to put in a slatted coop. Which is just a mini coop with with a wire or slatted base for air flow (no litter).

 

[kaycor02]

Thanks for the reply. Will she continue to sit in her nesting box indefinitely? Is she waiting for something to hatch???? We don't want new chicks yet, so is making a new box my only option??

As you can see............I truly know nothing about chickens....thanks for your help!

 

[wynedot55]

she will keep sitting until she gives up on hatching.it doesnt matter if she is sitting on non firtile eggs or air.she will sitt till she gives up.

 

[chickflick]

I separate my broody hen from the others, in a separate cage ....I have an old rabbit cage...with no nesting material. Make sure she has food and water, and to encourage her to eat, give her a favorite treat often. It could take a few weeks for her to snap out of it. If it's nice out, take her and let her hang out with the other chicks for awhile. She'll try and make a beeline for her nest, so watch her! Need for her to hang out with her friends often so they don't forget her and make it hard for her to rejoin once she does snap out of it. I have a silkie that seems to go broody once a month. Thinking of finding a fertile egg from someone and letting her hatch it. Once she knows what it's like to be a momma, maybe she won't be in such a hurry to go broody again!! Good luck!

 

[kaycor02]

Thanks to everyone for the great info. Can I ask a few more questions??? Is it bad for her to sit and sit??? She is still laying, but will she stop? I'm not sure why people separate them, will the other girls bother her?

Also, I have 3 baby chicks (4 weeks old) in a separate pen indoors, would it help her to be with them? I heard you have to keep the older hens away from the babies for at least 4 months.

Thanks so much!

 

[wynedot55]

sitting all the time wont hurt her.she will get up to eat drink an poop an walk around.then she will go back to sitting.she will lay till she feels she has a clutch of eggs to sitt on an then stop laying.

 

[patsebat]

Hi there!
I am also a "newbie" and had my 6 month old buff orpington hen go broody on me. I tried giving her a bath to get her so angry she'd forget she was sitting on her nest, but that plan backfired! (She liked the bath!) I had her out in the yard with the other girls (4 others, all different breeds, all laying) for hours on end and she'd try to make a nest in the grass or the rocks, wherever! We finally gave in and got her a day-old chick and slipped the chick underneath her. The chicken folk we talk to here in town said day-old chicks have a different peep than older chicks so that any broody hen will attach themselves to the lday-old chick without a problem. It's been over 3 weeks and so far, so good...the chick and her surrogate mama have bonded and keep close tabs on each other. Another suggestion I heard about to break the brooding habit was to freeze water in a plastic egg and put the ice egg under the broody hen. None of these tricks are 100% fool-proof, but worth a try!