How to Break a Broody Hen

[dmfmfl]

I'm telling you the best way to get them out of being broody is to hose them down. No need for ice. Just get them soaking wet. I hosed my broody hen down once and that was 2 weeks ago or more. She has not gone broody again and was laying eggs about 4 days after I hosed her down. I mean it was immediate. Snapped her right out of it. She is happy and healthy and glad to be out of that hot nesting box. (I'm in Fl).

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi guys, thanks for all your great info!
I have a Broody hen that I let hatch some eggs this spring. She's gone Broody again. I've had her in a wire bottom cage for about a week. She's one stubborn girl! Should I keep her in until she lays an egg?
Thanks

Don't wait for an egg, she will have been broken for several days at least before she lays (though I had one that laid an egg the first morning she woke up in the box. She was still broody). Pay attention to how she looks and acts.

If she is still puffing up, she is still broody.

If she is still screaming when you come near, she is still broody.
If she is still making broody clucky sounds, she is still broody.

If she is looking and acting like "herself" let her out when you let the other chickens out. And watch again. If she is totally out of it, she will go about her business. If she is still so-so, she might keep looking toward the nests. At this stage you might be able to keep her out and she will continue to go back to normal. If she heads straight to the nests, her parole needs to be revoked.

The ONLY hen I have that has only gone broody ONCE is a White Rock that is a year old. Every one of the 4 Y/O hens that went broody by their first "hatch day" has gone broody at least 3 times every year since. I'm not trusting that I've seen the last broody bout from Angel and am not surprised your hens is repeatedly going broody.

 

[5cherries]

Thanks Bruceha2000! I took Oldhenlikesdogs advice and let her out on Friday. She's back to normal! My Sweetie was a year old in June. I was told she is an American white?

 

[bruceha2000]

Nice rock pile for them to get a view. I don't know of any "American White" breed. Maybe a White Leghorn or White Rock?

 

[5cherries]

Thanks. Yeah, not quite sure what she is. She has quite the personality though. That is her buff Orpington chick she hatched the last time she went broody. There was also an EE along with that clutch. She is a great Mom.

 

[DeJayA]

I had a orphington 7 months had gone broody and I look for what to do cause there were not any fertilized eggs to fertilized and I didn't know what to do for her and she wasn't looking so hot her comb was turing pale and loosing weight. I heard from a forum to put your chicken in a tub of water from the hose and let her sit in it for a while so that it would decrease her body temp because it was her hormones that cause her body temp to increase so she can hatch eggs. I first tried just removing her from her nest but she was clucking and fluffing and that caused her to get picked on and chased away from the food by her mates and eventually went back to the nest. I placed here everyday in the cool water and she would stay out of the nest and in the yard longer and longer and finally a week later she was back to being the first in the food trough and now all is well again in the world. So if she decides to go broody next spring I will let her because I have roosters now.

 

[bruceha2000]

Glad it worked for you DeJay. And she will go broody next year as well, based on my broody girls. Now you can have free flock replacement

 

[9d84runner]

Wow, this thread is awesome. My white leghorn just went broody a few days ago and I read quite a bit of the thread but I have a couple questions I didn't see. I'm sure they are somewhere in this thread but I'm not sure where. I have 4 nest boxes but all my chickens only lay their eggs in 1 box and it happens to be the box she is in... Will that mess up the other chickens laying or will they go in the other boxes? They will not and have not used the other boxes, ever. Not sure why.

When you break a broody hen do you leave food and water in the cage? If she lays an egg does that mean she is done being broody or when she is social and not running back into the coop?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hens will usually use other boxes, though sometimes they double up in the box.

Keep food and available in the crate. Don't let her out for three days, she should stop making that cluck cluck sound when she isn't broody anymore. After 3 days I usually let them out, if they return to the nestboxes than back to the cage for another 2 days, most should break after 3 days, some can take up to 7 especially if they try setting in the cage.

Your hen should resume laying eggs in about 1-6 weeks depending on how long they were broody and whether they are a good layer of not.

I wouldn't let a broody go too long, it sometimes can be contagious and gives other hens the idea it seem and before you know it you have nothing but clucking broodies.

 

[9d84runner]

Hens will usually use other boxes, though sometimes they double up in the box.

Keep food and available in the crate. Don't let her out for three days, she should stop making that cluck cluck sound when she isn't broody anymore. After 3 days I usually let them out, if they return to the nestboxes than back to the cage for another 2 days, most should break after 3 days, some can take up to 7 especially if they try setting in the cage.

Your hen should resume laying eggs in about 1-6 weeks depending on how long they were broody and whether they are a good layer of not.

I wouldn't let a broody go too long, it sometimes can be contagious and gives other hens the idea it seem and before you know it you have nothing but clucking broodies.

I have a wire dog crate, should I put her in that with no bedding but inside the chicken run on the ground?