How to Break a Broody Hen

[bruceha2000]

That is my experience as well wny. Once they are definitely broody, you are actually doing them a favor keeping them in the buster. People think it is mean to keep them out of the nest but there is something wrong in the wiring when a bird that is brooding eggs will get up every day to eat, drink and poop but a bird sitting on an empty nest will starve to death if they don't die from lack of water first.

It is one of those things that is hard to understand and recognize until you see it. Is this just a "long time for the egg to come out" day or is the girl broody? If there is a girl on the nest that didn't lay the day before, probably laying an egg. But I've had girls lay several days in a row, then sit in the nest (which WOULD be the natural thing to do if they had eggs to hatch) and I've had girls go broody that hadn't laid in a couple of days. If they are in the nest in the morning and still there in a couple of hours, I get suspicious. If they are still there a couple of hours after that I take them off the nest. I've not timed how long it takes to lay an egg but I think 4 hours is plenty.

AND they are all "differently broody". One of the Faverolles goes broody hard and fast and will flatten out and growl loudly the first day. The other is much more quiet about it and doesn't get to growl unless I've been taking her off the nest repeatedly for a few days. Both know just what it means when I open the door to the box then go to the nest to get them. For those that have the need, wrap both hands around the bird from the top so you can hold her wings down. They might kick their legs some until you bring them close but that is far better than trying to hold them from underneath with wings flapping. I have 3 other birds that go broody. The Partridge Chantecler is hard to break, usually 5 days even if I catch on fast, but always gentle. The Cubalaya and bigger Black Australorp usually break in a day, maybe 2.

 

[RodinBigD]

I have a hen who yesterday stayed in the nest box all day on 3 eggs. (have 4 hens) I lifted her and removed the eggs. Came home from work today and she is in nest box. 3 eggs in box next to her. She is sitting in an empty box. I believe she slept there also. I removed her twice this evening. She went and drank and roamed and around for a little while (10 minutes). But goes back up.

I guess my questions are.... Will a broody hen sit in an empty box? Or is she even broody?

Thanks....also I do not believe she is egg bound

 

[wny egger]

I have a hen who yesterday stayed in the nest box all day on 3 eggs. (have 4 hens) I lifted her and removed the eggs. Came home from work today and she is in nest box. 3 eggs in box next to her. She is sitting in an empty box. I believe she slept there also. I removed her twice this evening. She went and drank and roamed and around for a little while (10 minutes). But goes back up.

I guess my questions are.... Will a broody hen sit in an empty box? Or is she even broody?

Thanks....also I do not believe she is egg bound

yes , she will sit on an empty nest ..she sounds broody ..if you take her off an empty nest and she gets back up there , shes broody..you should break her soon , unless you plan on letting her hatch eggs ..i have tried the dipping them in water method but i didnt like it and she didnt stop being broody either..



i also think its the time of yr when its normal for them to go broody ..not that they dont any other time of yr but it seems i have read more about others having broodys more this spring , then i did all winter..

 

[CHICKENRANCH14]

Yes broody hens will sit in empty boxes. You have to remove them from any way to nest. I have a seperate 12 X 14 dog pen that I call the broody jail. They go in with all the comforts except no way to nest. Some take a week, some a little lonmger but they always come around. It also helps because I let me others out to free range and broodies don't get that option. Makes jealous and want to hurry up and return to normalcy.

 

[RodinBigD]

Thanks for the help.
I was going to break her by removing from the nest and eliminating her from getting to the nest box.
My wife had other plans and brought 3 "hatching" eggs home from up the road. So I guess we will see what happens now.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks for the help.
I was going to break her by removing from the nest and eliminating her from getting to the nest box.
My wife had other plans and brought 3 "hatching" eggs home from up the road. So I guess we will see what happens now.

Keeping her out of the nest won't break most broody hens, it will just drive her nuts. You really need to get her up off the ground with no ability to stay hot underneath. I had a broody that thawed TWO re-freezable ice packs in series. Didn't deter her from sitting in the nest a bit.

Hopefully your broody will stay broody and turn into a brooder if she eggs to sit. I've never done that but I've read that some stay to hatch and some quit after a while. I've also read of people who buy a few day old chicks and stuff them under the broody at night. Don't know how well that works since I've never tried it. In either case, you need to be set up to deal with "motherless chicks" or to incubate (or toss) the fertile eggs if the broody doesn't do her thing.

Good luck!!

 

[Herbfarmer]

I have a broody BO as well. She's about 10 months old and after reading a lot of this thread (although not all) it seems the consensus is to get her off the ground so air can cool her under side. I will start working on this tomorrow. I still have the dog crate they spent their first weeks in. So far she's been fairly sweet about being removed and carried out to free range with the others but of course she doesn't really - more grooming than anything else but she does eat a bit of mushy food and drinks a little and her poop looked ok - dark brown instead of black. This started a few days ago.

My question is about her comb. It's fallen over. The color is normal. Is this dehydration? Or something else? I haven't seen it mentioned in this thread.

Btw, a friend who does TTouch worked on her today, her first chicken! Both she and Rudy the Broody really enjoyed it. She worked on her in the nest and while later when I took her out she went right back to the nest we thought it was worth a try.

 

[nina1marc2]

I have a broody BO as well. She's about 10 months old and after reading a lot of this thread (although not all) it seems the consensus is to get her off the ground so air can cool her under side. I will start working on this tomorrow. I still have the dog crate they spent their first weeks in. So far she's been fairly sweet about being removed and carried out to free range with the others but of course she doesn't really - more grooming than anything else but she does eat a bit of mushy food and drinks a little and her poop looked ok - dark brown instead of black. This started a few days ago.

My question is about her comb. It's fallen over. The color is normal. Is this dehydration? Or something else? I haven't seen it mentioned in this thread.

Btw, a friend who does TTouch worked on her today, her first chicken! Both she and Rudy the Broody really enjoyed it. She worked on her in the nest and while later when I took her out she went right back to the nest we thought it was worth a try.

I would remove her sooner than later. If you do she will stop being broody faster. I use a medium dog crate for their broody pen. I have tons of holes drilled into the bottom to allow air flow. I also put a brick in there to allow her to perch and not lay on the bottom. This makes her air out faster. I don't dunk in water ever. It's too cold here for her to dry right. I have also said before that after my girls lay their eggs I will lock up the run and coop and not allow any of them in there so that the broody hen can free range some (after a few days of the broody pen). Good luck

 

[Herbfarmer]

Thanks! I'll do my best to get her out tomorrow. It's supposed to be raining everyday for a week so I'll need a cover and I think I can get the crate at least 2 feet off the ground with concrete blocks.

 

[bruceha2000]

My question is about her comb. It's fallen over. The color is normal. Is this dehydration? Or something else? I haven't seen it mentioned in this thread.

I don't think the comb means anything other than it is big and they can only self support so far. My Anconas have big combs that flop (one left, one right - convenient to tell them apart) when they are big. They shrink back when the birds moult and are not laying.