At my wits end! Broody AGAIN!

[Henriettamom919]

This year, when the most stubborn of my hens went broody, I tried a cool bath in addition to the broody breaker. Just held her in a pan of chest high cool (but not cold) water for around 5-10 minutes. Let her dry off some, then moved her to the breaker. She broke after 24 hours. Last summer it took 5 days in the breaker. Assuming your temps are warm, maybe this would be worth trying for your girl? Just an idea. Best of luck to you!

put her on Craig's List for $100, she is a valuable hen to a prepper!

I'll try the cool water! She'd probably enjoy it! It's humid and muggy!

And I can't sell her because despite being a pain in my butt at the moment, when she's not broody she's my best girl ! She's valuable to me already but I do plan to let her hatch some eggs next spring when our big walk in is done!

 

[Henriettamom919]

Remember, the purpose of the broody crate is to cool the hen's belly and breast, that's what breaks the broody cycle and changes the hormone levels, as I recall. That's why you want a wire crate and no bedding and it needs to be off the ground for airflow around her body. Good luck, sounds like this is really frustrating!

I do have a roosting bar in there and it's positioned in a way that kind of forces her to use it. It's only about two or three inches high but she goes right up! Do you think that's okay? I could put two baking racks on the bottom?

Oh, and there is NO bedding! Learned that the hard way the first time when I thought "what could a few shavings possibly hurt?" BOOM , chicken and shavings in the corner

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My opinion ... if it's an enclosed dog crate and it's in an enclosed coop/room, it's probably hotter than the room it's in. The goal is to keep her cool for about 3 days.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I mean... you're basically putting her in a little oven, see? Her own body heat will raise the temp of the dog crate.

 

[Henriettamom919]

My opinion ... if it's an enclosed dog crate and it's in an enclosed coop/room, it's probably hotter than the room it's in. The goal is to keep her cool for about 3 days.

She isn't in a coop or building but on the porch (open air) and run (enclosed but open air) and the crate has a wire door and wire "Windows" on three sides. I'll absolutely be investing in a wire crate on hubby's next payday but she's well ventilated and in the shade.

ETA, thank you for all the advice!!!

 

[aart]

she's my best girl

Then go out and buy a smaller foldable wire crate
and some 1x2" cage wire for the bottom.
Good tool to have for any chickeneer.

 

[Ms Clucky]

I have that same problem with my hens this year. My Red Pyle, Sunny, had one this year, but she for some reason pecked her babies foot half off so we gave it to Blue, which had 7 of her own that were at least 1 week younger. Sunny is due Saturday cause we couldn't keep her off everyone else's nest. We got Old English mix, Oreo, we had to put in a cage to get the broodiness out of her system cause she kept stealing our silver duckwing, Dumpling's nest, which is due Saturday as well. We have a mix barred rock, Rosie who is due tomorrow and a Crele had 1 baby today. All most all the eggs are not fertile cause we only have one rooster right now.
Our rooster, Pepper , which we had to give away, :[ has 4 babies that look like him. One is named Peppe {girl}, PJ {boy}, Pattie[girl] and Pearl {girl]}

 

[Chickassan]

Would anybody throw a fit if you brought the crate inside and sat it somewhere cooler like the bathtub?
Iv'e said this a few times but with a crazy determined broody you might have to hit her with a combo.
Wire crate, cool water belly since you don't have a wire crate your go to would be ice or frozen veggies really anything cold wrapped in paper towels and placed directly under her.
She will set on the cold paper package just like bedding but it will cool her belly. You swap out as the stuff melts/defrosts.
You will get some looks, be prepared.

 

[Cebarmlds]

I broke two broodies just recently by putting ice packs inside ziplock bags and putting it under their bellies, they thawed those quickly so I tossed the ice packs back in the freezer and put several ice cubes in ziplocks until they thawed those, back and forth until they were no longer broody, it took less than 3 days. One had been broody for weeks and the other just about one week. I didn't put a pack under them at night but put them on the roost after dark.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Good idea, @erlibrd ! You can make good ice packs out of half water and half alcohol, it'll form like an ice gel-pack. Don't fill the bag up completely, and double bag it in freezer zippy bags. It shouldn't get ice-hard like a brick so it will conform better to her body, and you can make several to rotate them.