At my wits end! Broody AGAIN!

[Henriettamom919]

Henrietta, my one year old buff Orp is broody for the third time in two months. Last time was about four weeks ago and she walked in a grey area of puffing and clucking but kept laying and coming out on her own. I only did broody jail for about 36 hours and she *seemed* fine but a little stand offish with her flockmates that I'd chalked up to Carol pinning her for the above mentioned behavior in previous days.

Here we are again, she didn't lay yesterday and was a total loner this morning, fluffing up and screeching by afternoon and now won't leave the nesting box. Obviously she's going in the broody kennel but should I made her stay in there longer because she's tricked me before with coming out and going up to roost only to be puffing up again two days later

What's a good solid brick of time? Three days and nights? Two? And of course she's my most loving, cuddly and sensitive girl so I loathe locking her up but this is nuts!

 

[ValerieJ]

Oh my. They do get broody sometimes. I had one who was broody for 3 weeks. I just took her out of the nest box and put her outside in the run every day, a couple times a day, and tossed out some treats. She would eat those and drink and then go back in. Then one day she stopped the behavior. Did she lay during those 3 weeks? I dunno….I collected 3 or 4 eggs from her every day, so they were all going in and laying eggs under her. I've never put one in time out for this.

So, that brings up a question. Should I? Is it a problem for them to be broody besides not getting eggs from her? I didn't think I needed to worry about it.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Oh my. They do get broody sometimes. I had one who was broody for 3 weeks. I just took her out of the nest box and put her outside in the run every day, a couple times a day, and tossed out some treats. She would eat those and drink and then go back in. Then one day she stopped the behavior. Did she lay during those 3 weeks? I dunno….I collected 3 or 4 eggs from her every day, so they were all going in and laying eggs under her. I've never put one in time out for this.

So, that brings up a question. Should I? Is it a problem for them to be broody besides not getting eggs from her? I didn't think I needed to worry about it.

It's a matter of choice. Henrietta doesn't eat well at all just before, during and right after she's broody and her overall appearance gets ratty looking. Obviously it goes on the length of gestation (21days) or longer with no hatch and they eat and drink very little during that time. When they hatch chicks the hormone change encourages a surge in appetite to compensate but in a flock with no rooster this can take longer as the broody never hatches.

Two/three days in a kennel with no bedding and a roost, food and water forces the hormones to subside as they can't physically nest so it just kind of snaps them out of it.

 

[ValerieJ]

It's a matter of choice. Henrietta doesn't eat well at all just before, during and right after she's broody and her overall appearance gets ratty looking. Obviously it goes on the length of gestation (21days) or longer with no hatch and they eat and drink very little during that time. When they hatch chicks the hormone change encourages a surge in appetite to compensate but in a flock with no rooster this can take longer as the broody never hatches.

Two/three days in a kennel with no bedding and a roost, food and water forces the hormones to subside as they can't physically nest so it just kind of snaps them out of it.

That's good to know. I did have one hen raise her own chicks. She almost ate nothing for 3 weeks. Lost a lot of weight. I would just keep putting some food right in front of her, then she would eat a few bites at least. I will try the time out method next time I don't want chicks. Thanks.

 

[aart]

What's a good solid brick of time? Three days and nights?

I'd start there...then wait and see.
That clucking is my go to...but I've broken quite a few broodies,
one serial girl last summer I finally had to give way.

You may have seen this before but...
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.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Thank you for this; I have read it but having re-read it I do have a new question! Mine free range from about 7 am until they put themselves to roost (about 8:30pm, every night) and only chill in the run in the early morning. Should I still put the crate in the run or would somewhere more central be better (mine nap on the mud porch a lot and hang out there when it's raining)?

I'd start there...then wait and see.
That clucking is my go to...but I've broken quite a few broodies,
one serial girl last summer I finally had to give way.

You may have seen this before but...
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.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 1833952

 

[aart]

Should I still put the crate in the run or would somewhere more central be better (mine nap on the mud porch a lot and hang out there when it's raining)?

Sounds pretty good...where ever the flock spends the most time and is weather proof...
...or you could move it around during the day...had to do that with my last serial broody session due to heat wave(keeping crate in shade) and I think the change of scenery helped.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Sounds pretty good...where ever the flock spends the most time and is weather proof...
...or you could move it around during the day...had to do that with my last serial broody session due to heat wave(keeping crate in shade) and I think the change of scenery helped.

Should I wait until after the 4th? Stuffs about to get real in my neighborhood. We're on an acre but EVERYONE goes crazy trying to outdo one another *sigh* Think she'd be okay locked up alone on a holiday filled with ground shaking explosions?

She's in there now but I'm considering letting her out at dusk when it starts to get crazy then locking her back up late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

 

[aart]

I'd just leave her in there and leave crate near where the other birds are.
Will crate fit into coop?

 

[Henriettamom919]

I'd just leave her in there and leave crate near where the other birds are.
Will crate fit into coop?

No, my coop won't accommodate the crate and I don't have a smaller one like yours (mine is hard sided and listed as M/LG dog sized). I'll just leave her on the porch and move her to the run, under the coop (it's free standing with an area underneath for dry roosting when it rains.)

Thank you so much; Henrietta is a tricky one in that she doesn't necessarily live on the nest each time but the broody is strong with her she turns into Gollum from Lord of the rings with her "precious"