How to Break a Broody Hen

[aldarita]

Thanks for repling Will it work if she is in a cage for the day then in her nest in a night ?

I am currently working with a broody that seems to be hard to break. I put her in a cage inside the run during the day so she wouldn't feel so isolated. Every night I moved her to the roosting box with the other pullets and early in the morning she was put back in the cage. We are running temps in the 90s here so after several days of not being able to break her, she was moved into a cage that I have in a room with AC, maybe this will break her. So don't move your broody in the nesting box for the night because you will put her back to the beginning and the time you gained by having her in the cage is wasted.
I am a newbie with chickens (2 and a half years) but my experience with broodies so far is that we have to take them case by case. They are different and they don't break the same, what works for one might not work for another. Oh broodies, you got to love them!!!

 

[aggie343]

Thank s for all your messages. I think my hens are finally coming out of there broody stage. I went out today and they are in the garden not nest box they are clucking slightly but seem more sociable . They spend alot if time still in there nest box but do seem to be coming out more . Is that a sign that they are coming out of it ? I really hope so

 

[bruceha2000]

Thank s for all your messages. I think my hens are finally coming out of there broody stage. I went out today and they are in the garden not nest box they are clucking slightly but seem more sociable . They spend alot if time still in there nest box but do seem to be coming out more . Is that a sign that they are coming out of it ? I really hope so

I have a similar one. Finally not "LET ME GET TO THE NEST!!" but still clucking.
I let her out of the broody box yesterday afternoon and she went out with the other girls. But after a bit it was like watching Dr. Jekyll turn into Mr. Hyde. First more intense clucking. Then the neck feathers started raising, a little now and then but after a bit, full ruff and she headed toward the barn. I followed her and since she knew I would stuff her back in the box if she got in the nest, she paced around on the roosts for a good long time looking more and more like "the monster". Finally went back outside but still clearly not normal. Found her back in the nest later so I put her back in the buster. Let her out this morning, seemed OK out with the girls but I will give at least 50-50 odds she will be in the box when I go out in a few minutes.

My wife put a freezer pack in the nest under this bird a few days ago while I was gone as I had seen a suggestion that this can cool them off enough to break. She thawed the pack.

If she leaves the nest fairly often, she might be OK and just hanging in the nest for whatever reason. However, like beds are for sleeping and reading in bed may not be the best thing if one has trouble falling asleep, I wonder if hanging in the nest when not laying my similarly be counter productive for a bird with a history of going broody.

 

[Chickenman7333]

I have a second well protected and roofed run attached to the main run. There is a small door between the the runs that I use to separate chickens. I put the broody in this run by herself with food and water during the day and no nest box, just a dry dirt floor. I do let her back in the coop at night. Maybe not as fast as the wire cage but I believe is less stressful. After a couple of days I open the door and see what happens. If she joins the flock good, if not she get a little more time. They are all able to see each other during this time which makes it easier to return her to the flock.

 

[aggie343]

Hi my chickens have just stopped been broody Thank god but there is feathers everywhere. It is coming into simmer here and I wondered is it normal for them to loose loss of feathers ?

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi my chickens have just stopped been broody Thank god but there is feathers everywhere. It is coming into simmer here and I wondered is it normal for them to loose loss of feathers ?

Not particularly, they don't shed like dogs and cats, they moult once a year, USUALLY in the fall presumably but mine were anywhere from late summer to the last week of January last year (their first moult). They will pull out their own breast feathers for the nest. I don't know if is to expose more HOT chicken to the eggs and/or to "make" the nest. The latter isn't necessary since most people have shavings or hay in the boxes. If it is both, it is an instinctual thing with regard to making the nest.

Bruce

 

[aggie343]

I saw them do it when they were broody they are just getting over it now but noticed a few feathers in with there Hay and in the garden where they were out. Just want sure if it meant there was anything to worry about or still slightly broody or just normal

 

[jotebo]

I have a Black Australorp. This is her 3rd time in 6 months that she has gone broody. I have only 2 hens (micro urban). All 3 times I have used the broody breaker with success. This time it is now 16 days since she quit laying. The other 2 times she started laying within 5 days of coming out of the broody breaker. She is squatting, but no eggs. My questions is…. will she continue to go broody so often and is this normal for such a delay in getting back to laying?

 

[2chickenfarmers]

Lol I am such a newbie.... I got on here to check out how to get my girl Stella off the nest and I guess she was just laying an egg!! She just came running out as I went to get her...

That was first time we caught one laying! Egg number 5...... So exciting.....
WE LOVE OUR GIRLS

 

[SouthernVAChick]

My Hens have been in their nesting boxes for 3 months and they will not come out of the broodiness for nothing.I've tried placing them in ice cold water I tried spraying them down. I dont know what else to do.....they are very determined to sit and sit and sit. Their combs are not pink anymore. Any suggestions other then confining them in a wired cage I have 5 that have been like this for awhile. I did get rid of the rooster because he would attack me everytime I went out of my house. I have Bantam Cochins.