Turns out hubby is watching the girls so I can reply now
Hens do not lay while they are broody.
How it usually works is that lay a clutch of eggs 8, 10, 12 or however many they like and then they stop laying and sit on the eggs. While they are building up the clutch, they do not stay on the nest and carry on business as usual. The eggs do not start to develop until the hen sits on them ensuring that they all hatch around the same time, same day etc. Having said that, a determined broody [like mine] does not care if she has eggs or not; if she is broody she will sit on nothing but straw, a fake egg, a pebble etc
One problem that does arise is that other hens may add to the collection after she has decided to sit on them and also, she will steal eggs from other hens. I have seen a broody tuck an egg under her wing to move it to her nest and another roll one across the coop floor into her nest.
The best idea is to mark the eggs she is sitting on so you know that they are hers and which ones are new. This will stop you getting a staggered hatch which is not good as she will leave the nest to raise her little ones and any remaining eggs will not survive.
While she is raising her little ones, the hen will also not lay. The average time frame for returning to laying would probably be when the chicks are 5 to 6 weeks or older.
With breaking the broody, I use the crate method. Others may have other suggestions but this has worked best for me in the past and I believe it is kinder than ice baths etc.
The broody is placed into a raised, wire bottom crate or cage etc so that she can not get too comfortable and has an air flow under her [sitting on bricks is sufficient, it does not have to be high]. Obviously she will need food and water and you can add a perch if you like.
The idea is that with the air flow and no nest in sight, her hormones are cooled and broodiness is broken. She may need to be in the crate for 2-3 days or longer sometimes, depending on how long she has been broody. Some leave them in the crate 24/7 but I prefer to let them out for supervised free range with the flock, ensuring that she does not have access to the coop or a nest. Also, in the evening, I pop the broody on the roost with her flock mates, ensuring that the nest boxes are blocked off and she will not have access in the morning if she gets up before you. In the morning, pop her back into the broody breaker and then open up the nest boxes for the others.
As I mentioned, she could be broken in a couple of days and the sure way to know is to let her out with access to a nest .. if she makes a beeline to the nest, back to the broody breaker she goes.
Hens do not lay while they are broody.
How it usually works is that lay a clutch of eggs 8, 10, 12 or however many they like and then they stop laying and sit on the eggs. While they are building up the clutch, they do not stay on the nest and carry on business as usual. The eggs do not start to develop until the hen sits on them ensuring that they all hatch around the same time, same day etc. Having said that, a determined broody [like mine] does not care if she has eggs or not; if she is broody she will sit on nothing but straw, a fake egg, a pebble etc
One problem that does arise is that other hens may add to the collection after she has decided to sit on them and also, she will steal eggs from other hens. I have seen a broody tuck an egg under her wing to move it to her nest and another roll one across the coop floor into her nest.
The best idea is to mark the eggs she is sitting on so you know that they are hers and which ones are new. This will stop you getting a staggered hatch which is not good as she will leave the nest to raise her little ones and any remaining eggs will not survive.
While she is raising her little ones, the hen will also not lay. The average time frame for returning to laying would probably be when the chicks are 5 to 6 weeks or older.
With breaking the broody, I use the crate method. Others may have other suggestions but this has worked best for me in the past and I believe it is kinder than ice baths etc.
The broody is placed into a raised, wire bottom crate or cage etc so that she can not get too comfortable and has an air flow under her [sitting on bricks is sufficient, it does not have to be high]. Obviously she will need food and water and you can add a perch if you like.
The idea is that with the air flow and no nest in sight, her hormones are cooled and broodiness is broken. She may need to be in the crate for 2-3 days or longer sometimes, depending on how long she has been broody. Some leave them in the crate 24/7 but I prefer to let them out for supervised free range with the flock, ensuring that she does not have access to the coop or a nest. Also, in the evening, I pop the broody on the roost with her flock mates, ensuring that the nest boxes are blocked off and she will not have access in the morning if she gets up before you. In the morning, pop her back into the broody breaker and then open up the nest boxes for the others.
As I mentioned, she could be broken in a couple of days and the sure way to know is to let her out with access to a nest .. if she makes a beeline to the nest, back to the broody breaker she goes.
Last edited:
e I'm getting nothing done round here today, too much excitement and anticipation! I think this looks promising? She's moved it back underneath so now I can't see if there is progress.. but I'll be back to update.. assuming this one hatches, then next one should be due on Monday/Tuesday and then the next on Wednesday/Thursday, does anyone know if there is there any way that I could manually incubate them myself for a few days if she does decide to stop sitting on them in between then? she's been getting up and eating and drinking and pooping a lot, I'm worried she might give up on the last two? 
