Australorp broody AGAIN

[NorthwoodsChick]

I have the same problem as everyone above. A California White that goes broody every two months like clockwork. I have no rooster and she has no eggs in her nest. She has always given up after about 21 days in the nest. This time she has been broody for over a month. Yesterday I started taking her out of the coop morning and night. She does stay out for a bit but so far going right back to the nest. I could try broody jail. I'm guessing that won't be a fix and would be needed every two months or when she doesn't give up after 21 days.

If I got a couple of fertilized eggs from a friend and let her hatch and raise the chicks, would she continue to be just as broody after that? I'm guessing she would.

My guess is yes, but she may make a great mother and would free you from having to broodand intergrate chicks.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Sigh. We finally culled my Atilla. She and another pullet went broody at about ten months and she never stopped. We gave them two eggs each and they each hatched one and co-parented them (both chicks were cockerels). She and the other hen went broody again immediately afterward and at three weeks we gave them 21 day-old chicks. Atilla was firecely parenting this time, the other less so. And I do mean FIERCE. When the chicks were weaned, Atilla immediately went broody again. She's been broody now non-stop for about six months. There's no stopping her. She was losing weight without taking a break to rebuild her fat stores. Her legs were getting so stiff she was having trouble walking. When I'd take her off the nest to make her eat, drink, poop and dustbathe, she'd attack the other chickens. She was just grumpy and miserable and making everybody else miserable too. I decided to put her down because it seemed obvious to me her hormones were out of control and she was suffering.

I'm so sorry. You did the best that you could.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so sorry. You did the best that you could.

I really thought that if she hatched and raised a brood, it would break her broodiness. Unfortunately, although it worked for SweetMom, it did not for her.

ETA, thank you.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I really thought that if she hatched and raised a brood, it would break her broodiness. Unfortunately, although it worked for SweetMom, it did not for her.

ETA, thank you.

So so sorry.