Avoiding broodiness

[WildType]

I’ve been having a major problem with my birds going broody.

I may have found a solution, based on the theory that after laying about fifteen eggs my chooks tend to always go broody. However, if they loose the nest site before they start incubating they go to a new nest site and start the egg laying sequence from day one again.

What I’ve done is Construct an additional bank of nest boxes at the opposite side of the coop, and every ten days I block one bank off and open the other bank. This simple method seems to trick the birds and I’ve been able to stop all broodyness.

It feels less cruel to prevent bloodiness than have to break it using jail cages etc

Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Ribh]

I'm blaming the heat. I've been having less problem since I started cooling the coop down @ night.

 

[L1sa]

Sounds like a great solution. Mine have been very broody this year too. One of my girls has been broody 4 times in the last 4 months. I broke her of the latest one last week and that was by shoving her out of the nest box and closing it off all day for about a week.

 

[aart]

I’ve been having a major problem with my birds going broody.

I may have found a solution, based on the theory that after laying about fifteen eggs my chooks tend to always go broody. However, if they loose the nest site before they start incubating they go to a new nest site and start the egg laying sequence from day one again.

What I’ve done is Construct an additional bank of nest boxes at the opposite side of the coop, and every ten days I block one bank off and open the other bank. This simple method seems to trick the birds and I’ve been able to stop all broodyness.

It feels less cruel to prevent bloodiness than have to break it using jail cages etc

Does anyone have any thoughts?

I like the idea of switching nest banks.....but you are collecting all eggs everyday?
I would assume so, but are still positing that they lay ~15 eggs then set.
Makes sense....look forward to hearing your observations.
Are your birds confined or free ranged?

 

[sourland]

I've always felt that broodiness was as much linked to the site as to the eggs.

@WildType, great observation and innovation on your part.