Break broody in side yard?

[SurprisingWoman]

I have a broody RSL. She is just about one year old and even though we have five girls and no rooster she has gone broody. So much for picking birds for their characteristics.

I have a small tractor and the girls free range during the day. I can't lock her out of the nesting box because it's the only one for all five girls.

I do have an upper level of my yard fenced where I used to keep the dog contained so I didn't have to poop scoop a full half acre. It's a nice sized side yard.

I have put the broody girl in the side yard with some food and water to see if not being able to get back to the nesting box will break the broodyness but so far all she is doing is pacing back and forth in front of the fence doing the soft cluck, cluck, cluck in her throat.

The other girls are not happy she is locked in there alone and I am starting to wonder if the constant pacing is doing more harm than good.

Has anyone tried containing a broody in a yard area away from the coop to break it? Did it work or will she just have massive thighs after this?

 

[SurprisingWoman]

My broody hen is starting to graze around the yard. She has been preening and acting more like the Bright we all know and love. I think it might be working. I will keep you posted.

 

[helloroe]

I have actually taken 4 different broody girls out (seperate times) and put them in a dog kennel area away from the coop for a night. When I returned them only one was still broody. I took her back out for another night and it worked. Not sure if I just got lucky.

 

[Laffindog]

Sorry to interrupt this thread but I am having the same problem, only worse. We only have three hens, two are RIRs and the other is a mutt. The mutt is just over a year old and this is the second time she has gone broody. The first time, I put her in a very large dog cage with no straw or anything she could sit on, and put the cage on two sawhorses to get it up off the ground. It didn't take her very long to come out of the broodiness, maybe a day and a half, I can't remember because it's been awhile back. She was fine for several weeks but about a month ago (I think), she went broody again and the dog cage routine is not working. She will act like she wants to come out of there really bad and I turn her loose, only to find her back in the nest box within minutes. Back in the cage she goes, for a few days, and we just repeat this over and over again. Sometimes she will dust bathe for a little while or go with the others for a few minutes, free ranging, but it doesn't take long at all until she's back in that box.

Are there any other suggestions on different methods of broody busting?

Thanks in advance!

L

 

[Laffindog]

Bump?

 

[SurprisingWoman]

Laffindog: I don't know about the dog kennel thing. I think it takes several days, especially for a hen who is determined to be broody. Have you researched the cold water dunk method?

I kept my hen in the side yard and then blocked the nesting box overnight. This morning she came out of the coop with the rest of the girls. I went out a couple of hours later and unblocked the nesting box and as soon as I did she was right back in so I got her and put her back in the side yard.

I am going to keep her in there most of the day until the other girls have a chance to lay their eggs and then I will block the box and see how she does in the main yard.

What a darling girl she is though. She is really a snuggler when I take her out of the box.... after she fluffs up and does her velociraptor scream.