A way to cure a broody hen

[Black Cochin Bantams]

A very knowledgeable breeder posted a while back that putting a hen in a cage and hanging it from the ceiling is an effective way to stop a broody hen.

 

[shesaredroan]

I knew a woman who said when she was a little girl, her dad would put the broody hen in a burlap feed sack and hang it on the clothes line for a few days. I have never tried this, seems pretty harsh to me.

But I have a wire cage, 'about 2' x 2'. I place it on 4 bricks, so air circulates underneath and put the hen in w/ food & water and leave her a few days. Because the bottom is wire and it's raised up, she cools down, and forgets about being broody.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Honestly, the wire cage method works well. Just don't give her anything to nest with, remove any eggs immediately. Give her lots of food/water.

OR--

Just let her sit and hatch out some babies. Sometimes, I just give in. It depends on the breed and what my egg sales are doing. If it's too hot to safely ship and I have a hen that wants to sit, I let her.

 

[7&8]

Quote:
You hit the nail on the head with that!

 

[Jenifer72]

my dad told me that when he was little they would dunk them in a bucket of cold water and that would do the trick supposedly. I haven't tried it. I only have had one broody and I just took the eggs and made her go outside and then the next day she sat on some other eggs and I just did it again and she gave up. Then he told me about the bucket of water. So, I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Jeffomatic]

I have an Australorp hen who remains stubbornly broody. I am currently trying the "water cure" (dipping her underside into a tub of water,) It's not cold water, just cool. She got steaming mad at me, but I will do it once a day and hope for the best!

 

[Jeffomatic]

Three dips in the bucket over two days cured Mrs. Green. She's back to scratching and pecking instead of moping and nesting, and her voice is back to normal instead of low and growly!

 

[BackyardBoogie]

I have a broody BO. Like many others, I had no idea when I got her that BOs were prone to broodiness. A friend of mine who has raised chickens nearly all her life suggested I put her on a bag of ice overnight to cool her off. Well, last night (with much feeling of guilt!) I did put her on a small bag of ice wrapped in an old t-shirt. This morning she was up and running around. Hopefully she will still be out when I get home this evening!

 

[Iteach2008]

I have Sussex that will sit for hours on an empty nest and leaves having laid no egg. She is basically a dog with feathers.