Do I need to break my buff orpington's broody spell?

[chuckun]

Hello Everyone,

I am very proud of my 4 pullets raised from day-old mail-order chicks. They are now seven months old, and all laying like slot machines. They are happy and sweet. But my BO went broody the other day and will not leave the primary nesting box. I remove her from time to time to make sure she gets food and water, and she gets thrown out occasionally by another bird, but she always scrambles back in. Do I need to break the broodiness?

I looked into getting a dog crate, but they are expensive and I prefer to keep my little backyard coop simple. One book I read said to just wait it out, especially with the breeds that tend toward broodiness, like orpingtons. What do you suggest?

Here she is waiting to get back in:






Poor girl! Must be hard to be in the grips of hormones with no fertilized eggs to hatch!

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[justplainbatty]

Hello Everyone,

I am very proud of my 4 pullets raised from day-old mail-order chicks. They are now seven months old, and all laying like slot machines. They are happy and sweet. But my BO went broody the other day and will not leave the primary nesting box. I remove her from time to time to make sure she gets food and water, and she gets thrown out occasionally by another bird, but she always scrambles back in. Do I need to break the broodiness?

I looked into getting a dog crate, but they are expensive and I prefer to keep my little backyard coop simple. One book I read said to just wait it out, especially with the breeds that tend toward broodiness, like orpingtons. What do you suggest?

Here she is waiting to get back in:






Poor girl! Must be hard to be in the grips of hormones with no fertilized eggs to hatch!

Thank you for your thoughts.

Brooding is very hard on a hen phisically. If there are no fertilized eggs to put under her, break her at once!

 

[chuckun]

Thank you so much for the response. I want the best for her! She is the sweetest of the four. I did try separating her in a shady area to free range, and she was doing ok, but I will get her a secure enclosure if the idea is to separate her for a couple of days.

So now I've put her in the run and closed off the nesting areas since the hens won't be laying more today. Any thoughts on how to break her as gently as possible?

Open to all suggestions!

Thank you.

 

[justplainbatty]

Thank you so much for the response. I want the best for her! She is the sweetest of the four. I did try separating her in a shady area to free range, and she was doing ok, but I will get her a secure enclosure if the idea is to separate her for a couple of days.

So now I've put her in the run and closed off the nesting areas since the hens won't be laying more today. Any thoughts on how to break her as gently as possible?

Open to all suggestions!

Thank you.

Collecting morning eggs, keeping her away from nest boxes, (in the run like you are) and collecting evening eggs as well, should do it. She'll get tired of sitting on few to no eggs.

If that doesn't work, you'll have to cage her with no bedding, but lots of air, for a few days to a week.

 

[JackE]

I have a couple of BOs that go broody regularly. I have an old wire boxtrap I use for a broody buster. That's the important thing, is to have them in a wire bottomed cage of some kind. The cage has to be raised, so cool air can get under the hen. I usually keep my broodies in the cage for 4 days. If I let them out earlier, sometimes they'll just go back on the nest. And they will sit there on nothing, just an empty nest. I hang my broody buster up right inside the coop. I will supply a small water bowl, and small feed cup, and that's it, NO BEDDING. The cool air has to get under the hen. Now, if you don't have an old boxtrap laying around, you could easily build a simple broody buster with chicken wire, and some scrap lumber, for cheap. But, you have to do something, because that hen may sit for weeks, and maybe months. And that is not a good thing.

 

[chuckun]

Thank you both for the tips. She looked fine on her feet in the run during the few hours that I blocked access to the bedded coop and nests, but then I let her into the coop with the others for the night. I'll see if she's nesting or roosting in the morning. If nesting and puffy, she will go into her broody buster tomorrow.

I did end up buying a good-sized dog crate because I'm worried a homemade box (made by me) might not be predator-proof. We have clever, nasty raccoons here, as well as hawks. We reinforced the air vents and door with 1/4 hardware cloth and added a roost. The floor is plastic, so we will drill some holes in the floor. That should provide decent air circulation as we will elevate the crate on a brick frame.

It sounds like a broody buster is a necessity every now and then. Now that we went to the trouble of fashioning one out of a dog crate, I am glad we did it. I appreciate your wise advice! Thanks so much!!

 

[Mrs. K]

or....... you could just let her sit the 3 weeks, and at night slip a couple of chicks under her. She will raise them up in the flock, no integration issues. You can get chicks this time of year easily.

Just saying, nothing is more fun than a broody hen with chicks, and one should add and subtract each year to get a multigenerational flock.

Just saying

Currently I am praying my BO goes broody!

Mrs K

 

[chuckun]

That is a very tempting suggestion in springtime, Mrs. K, and I hope your BO gets broody for you sooner rather than later. Over here I am pleased to say that the spell has been broken! My BO has been frolicking with the others today. No more broodiness!

I will keep your suggestion in mind for the future when I feel I can increase my flock by 2.

Thanks again for the community wisdom. I don't know what I would do without it.

 

[justplainbatty]

That is a very tempting suggestion in springtime, Mrs. K, and I hope your BO gets broody for you sooner rather than later. Over here I am pleased to say that the spell has been broken! My BO has been frolicking with the others today. No more broodiness!

I will keep your suggestion in mind for the future when I feel I can increase my flock by 2.

Thanks again for the community wisdom. I don't know what I would do without it.

YW! We are always happy to help!

 

[mamaivy]

Thank you so much for the response. I want the best for her! She is the sweetest of the four. I did try separating her in a shady area to free range, and she was doing ok, but I will get her a secure enclosure if the idea is to separate her for a couple of days.

So now I've put her in the run and closed off the nesting areas since the hens won't be laying more today. Any thoughts on how to break her as gently as possible?

Open to all suggestions!

Thank you.

YW! We are always happy to help!