How to Break a Broody Hen

[9d84runner]

Hopefully not. But if you let her out and she starts to act broody again, keep an eye on her. I have had some where the "Mrs. Hyde" twitches and neck feather flares come and go for a day or so but they are winding down, not up. Others ramp back up and need to go back in the buster. But for those it is usually only another day.

And, bad news for you, EVERY one of my girls that went broody in their first year of laying have gone broody multiple times a year ever since. Some girls just have it in them I guess.

Don't say that! I don't want to do this again. I love the Mrs. Hyde. SO TRUE. When it first started I was like what in the world has gotten into you! Little did I know. LMAO! She actually seem to act pretty normal now so I hope.

 

[bruceha2000]

I can only relate MY experience with MY hens. Maybe yours will be different

Planning to get more chicks next spring. With my luck none of the remaining 3 hens that have historically gone broody will do so when I need them to. Worked last year though. I didn't break Zorra (huge BA, never a great layer anyway) and gave her seven 3 day old chicks at "0 VERY dark 30" last June. She did a great job raising them until the "I am raising babies" switch suddenly went O-F-F one day when they were 2 months old. I've had to break her twice this year. Same with the 2 Faverolles.

 

[9d84runner]

So I finally let her out this afternoon and she did great. Stayed out of the coop all day. I always check on the girls before I go to bed and she was laying in the nest box... I picked her up and took her out and she walked over to the roosts and didn't go back to the box. Yet. She didn't puff up or growl so maybe she is ok?

 

[bruceha2000]

Yep! Not sure why she was on the nest box though. Does she have a history of sleeping in them?

 

[slordaz]

one thing my flock has taught me is they didn't read the chicken book obviously. I've tried everything suggested and got a white leghorn that has been in broody mode for 4 months now just not successful though the last time she actually sat she did get to day 17 before getting impatient. So as last resort I am hatching a few eggs in the incubator to give her chicks see if that breaks her. She's looking good but causing stress to the other hens. I am at ropes end with her.

 

[9d84runner]

Yep! Not sure why she was on the nest box though. Does she have a history of sleeping in them?

No, she normally sleeps by the doorway keeping guard. I've heard sometimes they will sleep in the nest box but I haven't seen any of mine ever do that until now. She seems to be normal now. She was and still is out with the girls. Yay! I think we are not broody anymore!

 

[bruceha2000]

one thing my flock has taught me is they didn't read the chicken book obviously. I've tried everything suggested and got a white leghorn that has been in broody mode for 4 months now just not successful though the last time she actually sat she did get to day 17 before getting impatient. So as last resort I am hatching a few eggs in the incubator to give her chicks see if that breaks her. She's looking good but causing stress to the other hens. I am at ropes end with her.

Um, maybe a stupid question but if you have a broody hen, why are you wasting time with an incubator??? She would likely do a MUCH better job than you will. And you won't have to go out at "way past 0 dark thirty", stuff the chicks under her and hope she accepts them.

No, she normally sleeps by the doorway keeping guard. I've heard sometimes they will sleep in the nest box but I haven't seen any of mine ever do that until now. She seems to be normal now. She was and still is out with the girls. Yay! I think we are not broody anymore!

Curious, a guard hen

 

[BrandoMan]

How I get my hen from not being broody anymore is cover her nesting box so she can't get back into and she starts to lay again in a few days that works for me. And for the opposite when my hen played 16 eggs and wouldn't go broody and was pretty sure she could sit on that many I just stole 4 of her legs and she didn't like that apparently and she went broody the next day and she hatched one egg at about day 23 and the rest hatched on day 24. Then I took the chicks from her and I raise them in a small pet kennel in the house and cover her box and like I said a few days later she back to normal. If I show her babies to her in a week she doesn't even recognize them as her own anymore. I take them inside because we have lots of predators that will try to take them so I raise them in my bedroom till there two months or so before I put them with the rest.

 

[bruceha2000]

Integration is a lot easier if the rest of the flock sees the littles as they grow up.

 

[BrandoMan]

Integration is a lot easier if the rest of the flock sees the littles as they grow up.

Yeah I know but we have skunks, Cooper's hawks, owls and foxes and also rez dogs around here and don't like the idea of my tiny guys being outside till there a bit larger. plus alot easier to feed the baby's there starter feed without the big chickens eating it all from them.