How to Break a Broody Hen

[Sunny Side Up]

The bareness on her breast is her broody patch, it's to have nice moist skin to nestle against developing eggs to provide humidity. That may also make it seem as if she is thinner than she should be, you don't have that cushion of feathers on her breast. But when they brood they don't expend as much energy so their appetite is diminished.

You may want to try to raise that cage up even higher, on sawhorses or lawn chairs or something, the trick is to create a nice airflow up under their breasts to re-set their dials. Leave her in there around the clock, not in direct sun but where it's nice & bright during the day. After 3-4 days let her out and see if she hurries back to the nest or is ready to roam with her flock-mates.

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

The bareness on her breast is her broody patch, it's to have nice moist skin to nestle against developing eggs to provide humidity. That may also make it seem as if she is thinner than she should be, you don't have that cushion of feathers on her breast. But when they brood they don't expend as much energy so their appetite is diminished.

You may want to try to raise that cage up even higher, on sawhorses or lawn chairs or something, the trick is to create a nice airflow up under their breasts to re-set their dials. Leave her in there around the clock, not in direct sun but where it's nice & bright during the day. After 3-4 days let her out and see if she hurries back to the nest or is ready to roam with her flock-mates.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I needed that information.

Leave her in round the clock?!! Not even let her roam the yard to get a drink and a nibble? Because she isn't eating or drinking from the dishes in the cage. When I let her out, she runs around, scratches, drinks, nibbles, dusts, and then after about 5-10 min she starts pacing around the coop trying to figure out how to get in, so I then put her back in the cage or if she goes to just lay on the grass I do. I

I will do my best to ignore her and leave her in the cage round the clock.

It breaks my heart and my sons, because she is his, but I am more set on breaking her than my heart!

THANX!!!

 

[galanie]

It's ok to let them out for a few minutes as you are doing. But otherwise keep them in the cage at all times. You'll know when it's worked. Usually only takes around three days but some take up to a week.

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

It's ok to let them out for a few minutes as you are doing. But otherwise keep them in the cage at all times. You'll know when it's worked. Usually only takes around three days but some take up to a week.

Thank you VERY much! She has been broody for about 2 weeks, prior to my caging her. I hope this works fast because my BR seems to be heading down the same path, she is starting to make the "dinosaur noises" (as my son dubbed).

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I would just leave her in that cage around the clock for 3-4 days, no matter what kind of story she tries to tell you. Especially if she is having difficulty breaking her broody spell. She's not moving around much in that cage, so she won't have a big appetite. Unless you see signs of ill health (not standing, poor color, etc) I think you can trust her to eat/drink enough on her own.

Her behavior still sounds like that of a broody hen, when they take their daily coffee breaks off the nest then get frantic to return. When her broodiness has broken she'll show interest in more things, to hunt & peck around the yard and scratch up random goodies.

Just make sure she has ample clean water on hand, perhaps wet her feed a bit and put it in a dish so she doesn't bill it all out to the ground below. Offer a few of her favorite treats to tempt her to return to her regularly scheduled programming.

 

[cmclean]

The large black "rat" snake that showed up in the nest is what broke my broody hen!!! Now my sons think we should get a rubber snake to keep for the next time!!

 

[Serama Newbee]

The large black "rat" snake that showed up in the nest is what broke my broody hen!!! Now my sons think we should get a rubber snake to keep for the next time!!

Haha, what ever works..

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

I would just leave her in that cage around the clock for 3-4 days, no matter what kind of story she tries to tell you. Especially if she is having difficulty breaking her broody spell. She's not moving around much in that cage, so she won't have a big appetite. Unless you see signs of ill health (not standing, poor color, etc) I think you can trust her to eat/drink enough on her own.

Her behavior still sounds like that of a broody hen, when they take their daily coffee breaks off the nest then get frantic to return. When her broodiness has broken she'll show interest in more things, to hunt & peck around the yard and scratch up random goodies.

Just make sure she has ample clean water on hand, perhaps wet her feed a bit and put it in a dish so she doesn't bill it all out to the ground below. Offer a few of her favorite treats to tempt her to return to her regularly scheduled programming.

Okay, so it has been 4 days now. We let her out after everyone has lay their eggs and she runs right to the group and participates with them...until...we open the door to the coop and she runs straight for it! We leave the door to the broody cage open and she puts herself in there now!

Last night we had company and forgot to open the coop door and put her into the broody cage. Lo and behold she was in the broody cage WITH our BJG cuddled up next to her! and the other three up on the roost in the run. I think it is definitely going to take a little longer to break her. Will update in a few more days...that will be a whole week. Well at least she is starting to make her "normal" clucking noises, eating, drinking, scratching, dusting, and hanging out with the rest of the girls...so we shall see.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You will certainly have to limit her options when she is out of that Broody Buster, make her old brooding nest totally off-limits, even block it out of sight. And make time with her flock-mates festive and enjoyable, provide treats they all enjoy but take a while to consume, like a whole cabbage, corn on the cob in the husk, bagels, etc.

 

[kaykaypw]

Hi Guys!
Lots of knowledge here!
My two Bantam Cochin hens have gone broody. No eggs from them or my Sicilian Buttercup hen for three weeks now. The two Cochins sit all day in the nest, the SB forages. I am not wanting to cage break the broody girls as we have some rats around here that would climb up and pull their legs off. How long can I expect this to last? I honestly don't eat eggs, just got the chickens for my own enjoyment. I do miss them foraging with the rest of the guys and they will if I pull them out and place them in the yard.

Thanks~
Karen