A way to cure a broody hen

[FireTigeris]

I have a BCM that's broody back to back now- she keeps it up she will get sick...

 

[conroy]

When you say hard to procur....you mean eggs that take a really long time? Sorry I sound silly.. but if you think it will work I'll do it.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
Eggs you really want to hatch because they are rare- this only 'works' because of 'Murphy's Laws" it will only stop them from being broody because you WANt them broody to hatch the eggs.

 

[conroy]

Haha OK got it!! ok so I guess I am gonna look for some rare fertile eggs.... decisions decisions....thanks for the info!!! I'm gonna do it...

 

[chicksbestfriend]

I have a broody BO and she goes in and out of her broodiness all the time. Shutting down the nest boxes only works temporarily with her and she will then move onto the next nest that all the other girls are laying their eggs in. I have tried isloating her without any nesting materials, only to find her old habit kicking back in. Was getting pretty frustrated.

I have some ducks that are sitting on a bunch of fertile eggs so a week ago I decided to snag a couple duck eggs and put them under Ms. Broody. Dont think she likes the bigger size of the eggs, as she is beginning to leave the nest more and more and is eating and drinking almost as much as the others in the flock, and I find her ranging a little more each day, but still returning to the nest. Her colors are starting to come back and she feels a wee bit heavier. If she can hatch the muscovy eggs...............then we will change her name to Mama Quacker.

 

[conroy]

My ducks are only 10 weeks old

I wish I had some duck eggs... cause she is a bantam so I think the size would deter her.... I am online now trying to decide what kinda of fertile eggs to buy

 

[scott619]

I am new at raising backyard chickens. I have a total of 3 hens. One of them has gone broody. I notice her leaving the nest for a few minutes a day to eat, drink, etc, however when that is done, she goes right back to the nest. This has been going on for a month now. Everyday I make sure that she does not have any eggs under her, which she doesnt. I am reading different things as to how long this cycle can last. Some say 2 to 3 weeks (21) days. This is a month now though. Any ideas how I can help her to stop the cycle? Thanks

 

[LittleNCFarm]

Hi all!

We have just two hens, a BO and a Barred Rock. Both were laying like champs and then the BO went broody last month. After doing some web searching and chatting with other chicken folk around here, I decided to borrow a dog crate from a friend and keep her in there for a few days to "cure" her. Wouldn't you know it? As soon as we got the crate here, she seemed to come around and hop off the nest. So a few weeks went by, we returned the crate and...you guessed it...she's broody again!

There are no eggs under her, and I've been taking her off the nest a few times each day, carrying her well away from the coop to drink and hang out near the house. She keeps going back, and I'm thinking of trying the cold-water-dip attempt to cool her down and see if that helps.

Any other suggestions are most welcome! We didn't know BOs are prone to broodiness, but now it's becoming very apparent! We'd love to let her hatch some chicks, but a) our coop isn't set up for it and b) we have cats that are mighty hunters, and that would just be horrendous! (Our coop is a small chicken tractor, and the hens get locked up at night and let out in the morning to free range...well, unless *someone* is hanging out on the nest all day!)

Thanks for any additional thoughts or suggestions. I want my girl laying again soon!

 

[savingdogs]

Let her sit on some rocks for a week or so and then buy her some chicks?

 

[Judy]

I had one stay broody for four months, until I finally bought a few chicks and stuck them under her. Sometimes I have stopped them simply by taking them off the nest and making them go outside a few times a day. I have two broodies now, one for over a month, and there's no sign she will stop. I bought her a few chicks and she kicked them out of the nest -- so I have broodies and baby chicks both. I don't know why this didn't work; she has raised chicks before. I also have some roosters just starting to crow, so I'm hoping to have some fertile eggs soon for them to hatch.

No simple answer for all of them, that I've found.