Someone PLEASE turn the broody switch to OFF

[Kdub86]

Not sure if this works but I have heard of people putting they broody hens in a bucket of water, you would have to make sure it's a nice sunny day. Apparently it is kind out like the wire bottom cages make them have a cold bum and will break the broodiness!

 

[WisconsinChickenWhisperer]

Wow! Thankfully, I only have one girl that has gone broody so far, and she isn't so bad. I am able to reach under her and get the eggs out of one box, then she'll move to another box and sit on someone elses eggs, so I have to reach under her again. I would let her hatch some chicks, but my coop is at capacity right now......I would have to expand before winter, and I am just not sure I can afford that at this point. Then again, I sure would like to get some Black Copper Maran eggs to put under her.........

 

[melloladies]

takes 3-4 nights in a seperate cage in the garage for my girls. I like putting them back at night, on the roost, so they wake up like everything is "normal". Works so far. Course I did give one lady eggs, my cochin...she's a sweetie, but MAN is she stubborn!!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
Nice idea but these girls have already hatched chicks, some of them more than once. A few of them were not good mothers at all and their chicks ended up dying because they didn't protect them. At one point I had broodies in 4 cages in the coop, it was getting exhausting because the moms spill the food and water immediately upon putting it in the cage. I ended up bringing all the chicks from that hatch inside and threw them in the brooder under the calmest mom who didn't spill her food/water as much as the others. Luckily I ended up selling the chicks right before the next hatch. I've got a coop almost at (winter) capacity plus 14 four week old chicks in my basement growing out.

We're done hatching and having chicks here for this year! It's hard to sell mixed breeds here (which is what I have) - partially because some are turkens. It's also not the season for chicks here, people are looking for full grown birds - winter's coming you know.

I've also thought about bringing the crazy broody birds inside but I figured the peeping from those chicks in my basement would drive them even more mad. They've got 2 more weeks before they'll be big enough to take on the big girls outside and not escape through the chicken fence.

Maybe I'll try a broody cage in the garage and just rotate a bird through it every other day or so.

Last time the phoenix and banty were broody they finished up, each laid about 5 eggs then went broody again. With my luck by the time the garage swap is over it'll be time to break the phoenix and banty again.