Biddy Broodiness

[mamas15]

I am currently suffering through my first bout of Buff Orp. Broody - she is relentless about sitting on imaginary eggs! I throw her out of the nest and she forages with the other girls for 10 or 15 minutes then it's like 'oh my gosh I almost forgot my 'babies' and makes a wild dash for the coop! But I am relentless, too, and I will not be deterred from my duty either, so bring it on Henrietta. . . . .

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

You should probably make a broody breaker.

It's a small cage, I put mine inside the regular coop because she can still be social. You make it mostly out of chicken wire with some 1 by 1 parts for support and a perch in it. This makes sure she perches because sitting on chicken wire is too cold. Of course, you also put a food and water in there.

sorry, not the best pictures but I can't go out and take more right now.
You can sorta see fluff standing on it, there's a towel because the other girls like to stand on it as it is the highest point in the outside perch area and the towel protects whoever is in it from poo.

Anyways, perching forces a hen out of the instinct of broodines so with 3-5 days in it, my hens are usually good to go!

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

PS fluff was moulting, that's why she looks funny..

Hens normally don't come out of broodiness well or it takes a while for them on their own. This is healthier for them in my
opinion.

 

[mamas15]

Thanks for the tips! I will try the 'broodie buster' - don't want the behavior to go on too long.