Age old question, How to break the broodiness?

[Kelly FG]

One of my buff orps has been broody for 5 weeks, we do not have a roo & usually she prefers the nest that doesn't have any eggs in it.
I take her out twice a day(at least) so I know she eats & drinks a bit, however she is REALLY skinny now & its getting quite hot here, its over 80 degrees in the coop during the day. She was my crook-neck chick that I nursed back to health & I'm quite concerned about her being malnourished.

What can I do to get this silly girl to snap out of it?

 

[Wally]

I used to have a buff orp that went broody about once a year. I would put her in a dog kennel with a wire bottom with food and water for a couple of days and it would always break her up. I have been told that cooling down thier underside ( hence the wire bottom) for a while is what does the trick.

 

[hinkjc]

1st choice - give her eggs.

2nd choice - wire bottom pen

3rd choice - remove access to nest boxes. You can either remove the nest, fasten wire over the entrance or remove the broody from the coop.

We have 2 breeding pens where the girls keep going broody and my roosters are walking around all day going "ok, now what do I do?" LOL We had to cover the nest access with wire to block them out. It works, but is not convenient if you still have girls who want to lay eggs or if your broody will just make a new nest on the floor.

I have had great success with moving the hen to a tractor type coop until she breaks as well, but then you have to reintroduce her. I usually only do that if I have 2, so they have company and have a friend to go back in with.

Jody

 

[JamesC]

The wire cage - with wire bottom works very well. I've been doing that for years and the hens usually break up after 3 days but it isn't necessary to withhold food and water. Give them all the food and water they want, they will still break up after a few days. Re-introduction won't be a problem either, after just a few days.

James