Good girl gone broody - how do I know when she's done?

[jodiefoster]

When you take her out of the cage put her with the flock and feed them at least 5 minutes worth of treats. It really helps for them to just be part of the group again.

 

[jodiefoster]

I always release them into the flock and give a good 5 minute feed of treats to everyone. They seem to forget that the broody was away .

 

[lifein1840]

So I've spent a lot of time this week reading through all the Broody Hen posts and have learned a lot! Thanks to all who shared their knowledge. I'm adding to the discussion with just one question about my broody girl....once isolated in Broody Jail with food and water, how do you know when she's done with her broody cycle?

Our 13 girls, mixed breeds, are a little over 10 months and are all reliable, almost daily egg layers. They are pets and many will jump up on my lap for pets and waddle strokes. Our flock consists of 1 RIR, 1 "production red," 3 mixed (CA) white leghorns, 2 EEs, 3 golden sexlinks, and 3 Isa browns. One of the white leghorns, little Foggy, was the first in our flock to lay, right on time at 20 weeks - a beautiful light beige perfect egg. She has not seemed dominant and is a bit shy about grabbing for treats when I hand them out. Not aggressive but not overly friendly toward me ( as some are very friendly).

Little miss Foggy got bit by the broody bug recently. Again, no rooster or chicks in sight. Saw a few signs of it when she'd stay in her favorite nest box for a few hours at a time and left fluffy feathers in there. Opened the door to collect eggs and she'd trill at me, kind of hiss, fluff herself out to 3 x her normal size, and tell me to get the heck out. Now. Then caught her sleeping in it at night. Now she's full blown, big fluffed out Tom Turkey, loudly squawking and obsessed with nesting. Pulled her out of the nesting box and walked her over to the run for treat time this morning. She was mad, but at least ate a little, sauntered around and after about 5 minutes of the low growly mumbles, she made her way back up the ramp to her safe place.

Today we got a smaller dog crate, set it up with cardboard on top, hardware cloth on bottom, and a 1 x 2 roost, plus food and water in bowls. It's in the coop, since that's the only place that makes sense. When we put her in, she was none too pleased. She protested loudly and made noises I never knew a hen could make. We have a baby monitor type camera in the coop so we can see that she's been pacing, tossing over the food and water bowls (which we just upgraded with food storage bowls glued to a board so she can't toss), sticking her head through the bars (Jailbreak!?!??) and begging her friends to bust her outta that joint.

I have to admit I was pleased to see about 4-5 of her flock buddies check in on her. Fortunately I don't think they read the instructions on opening the crate door. Also, before I invited (pulled) her out of the chosen nesting box, one of the EEs had wedged herself in the box with her, and I think she laid her egg at that time! Hope she's not thinking of going broody too.

Current status of the Jail Bird: in jail, same rebellious ornery attitude, has a new water/food contraption that she can't kick or knock over (we'll see) and is serving her time.

So.....to all those who've been through this a million (it must seem) times, how do you know when she's fully served her sentence and is no longer a menace to flock society? JK, she's just a good girl gone broody.


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Why not give her some eggs to hatch? That's what I do and then I keep or sell the chicks when she has decided to move on. There are lots of local places to get fertile eggs - 4-H, Craigslist, check at your farmer's market with folks that sell eggs....they shouldn't be hard to find.

 

[lifein1840]

Thanks for the input. Our situation is a little different. No free range, many predators, closed coop at night, she would have stayed in the nesting box not eating or drinking indefinitely if we didn't break the broody spell. good luck with yours! I didnt want my Isa Browns to get any "ideas" from her.

A broody hen should get off of the nest at least once a day to eat, drink, poop( ) and take a dust bath. Normally, this is instinct, sometimes you have to take them off the eggs and force them to go out the first time. I keep an eye on her to be sure I see her get off the nest every day.

 

[nsanfro]

I've got a Columbian Wyandotte that's been broody for a month! I keep taking her out of the nest box several times a day, she will eat, drink and dust bathe. I hoped it would stop by now but I think I will have to try jail time. Thanks for the pictures showing the hardware cloth on the bottom! I have the small dog crate but didn't think of hardware cloth and putting it up on bricks - will work on that tonight.

 

[lifein1840]

I've got a Columbian Wyandotte that's been broody for a month! I keep taking her out of the nest box several times a day, she will eat, drink and dust bathe. I hoped it would stop by now but I think I will have to try jail time. Thanks for the pictures showing the hardware cloth on the bottom! I have the small dog crate but didn't think of hardware cloth and putting it up on bricks - will work on that tonight.

If you aren't going to let her hatch chicks, you should break her as soon as possible. If I'm in a position that I don't need more chicks ( yeah, right ), I try to break the hen as soon as she gets started.....but most of the time, I'm happy to get the chicks!!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I’ve had hens are broody that I didn’t want to hatch eggs and tried various methods over the years. Recently however, after one hen hatched six eggs, another immediately went broody and a friend told me that she never uses the jail method. She just lets the hen sit it out and eventually get over it. I had always thought it would be much more drawn out and they could get quite depleted from not eating but I tried it and found it takes no longer than using the jail and she’s with the rest of the flock the entire time. They may squawk at her if she’s in their favorite nest, but by the time two weeks are up, eggs appear again and all is well. Seems much more humane and certainly much easier. Good luck.

Thanks for your views. Everyone seems to have different approaches. 50 hours in the broody jail worked great for Foggy. You'll see that if you read all the posts/comments on this thread. We are not prepared to hatch eggs & care for chicks now.
The broody jail was in the coop the whole time, about 50 hours. 2 days. Not 2 weeks. She was with the flock at night and when the others came into the nesting boxes to lay. They came up to see her. I gave her fresh food & water several times each day. She was never isolated and I don't believe it was "inhumane" in any way.
I think you may not understand the purpose of the broody jail. NOT punishment, it's to get them out of the warm comfy nesting box and cool off their hot bottoms so the broody hormones go back down and they can return to normal. Air circulation & cooler temps beneath the cage is key. It worked - she's happy again and so are we.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I've got a Columbian Wyandotte that's been broody for a month! I keep taking her out of the nest box several times a day, she will eat, drink and dust bathe. I hoped it would stop by now but I think I will have to try jail time. Thanks for the pictures showing the hardware cloth on the bottom! I have the small dog crate but didn't think of hardware cloth and putting it up on bricks - will work on that tonight.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Why not give her some eggs to hatch? That's what I do and then I keep or sell the chicks when she has decided to move on. There are lots of local places to get fertile eggs - 4-H, Craigslist, check at your farmer's market with folks that sell eggs....they shouldn't be hard to find.

I appreciate the reply but we are not trying to hatch nor prepared for new chicks. Our girls are not even a year yet, no rooster, and our coop/run is sized just right for 13 hens. We're good for now.

 

[Finnie]

She just lets the hen sit it out and eventually get over it. I had always thought it would be much more drawn out and they could get quite depleted from not eating but I tried it and found it takes no longer than using the jail

Broody jail takes an average of 2-3 days if done promptly and adhered to strictly, I can't imagine there's any scenario where you let them set and it takes less time than that.

I agree. I have had broodies that I tried to ignore, in hopes they would get it out of their system, but after it going on all summer, I realized that was not the best way.

Now I will set up a broody in a penned off area under the roosts with some fake eggs. If she sits, she gets fertile eggs. But sometimes moving them and locking them up is all it takes to break them. Instead of sitting, they spend all day pacing back and forth trying to get out. (Probably wants to go back to her nest box.) If I don’t want chicks, then I don’t put fake eggs in, but since I usually want to take advantage of the set-it-and-forget-it incubator, I‘ve never tested to see how long a broody would sit without fake eggs. That scenario might not work.

A lot of good ideas being bounced around on this thread. Very useful for people searching.