Advice needed pls two young silkie mixes been broody for 6 weeks !!

[Sammi_0411]

Hiya this first time i had hens that are broody my silkie mixes born in july 2020 gone broody manically ita been over 6 weeks have had to force them to come out of nest box to eat take all unfertilised eggs (dont have a roo) away steaight away originally started with 3 but one went back to normal 3 weeks ago theres 2 that just wont its been 6 weeks when i do shut them out they just make a racket and constantly jump on me others wana lay their eggs its really difficult they have got skinnier i just dont know what else to do to break them any advice appreciated
Tia
Sam xxx

 

[sourland]

They have to be caged away from the nest site for a significant period of time. The sad reality is that they will exhibit this behavior throughout their lifetime.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Put them in a pen were they can't get to any eggs.

 

[aart]

i just dont know what else to do to break them any advice appreciated

This is how I break broodies.
Keep in mind the longer they are broody the longer they may take to break.


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[TillyPeeps]

I just took the broody out and put her on roost after it's dark so they cannot go back to the nesting box. It only takes me 2~3 days to break my Silkie cross after she went broody for 6 weeks.