Breaking a broody

[brahmachicks]

I need help! My light brahma is very broody at the moment and we're having a difficult time breaking her of it. We don't have a rooster and cannot have more chickens so this is our only option. She started acting broody a couple months ago and we isolated her in a cage with food and water. We kept her in there for several hours and she was back to normal. A few days ago her broodyness came out of no where and she didn't leave her nest. She was back in her cage all day yesterday. We let her out for a couple hours last night but she headed straight for her nest so she's back in the cage today. She's also not laying at the moment. Any suggestions? We're hoping to break her in the next couple of days because we're leaving for vacation and we don't want our "chicken sitter" dealing with that.

 

[sourland]

In my experience it has generally taken weeks rather than hours or days to break a broody hen.

 

[brahmachicks]

...

In my experience it has generally taken weeks rather than hours or days to break a broody hen.
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Well, that has worked for us in the past so naturally we're going to attempt a method that we've had success with.

 

[minichicks05]

Try putting an ice pack on her nest and eggs it will cool her chest down not making her want to go broody. You can also try putting her in cold bath. Look up things on the chicken chick she has a bunch of ideas!!

 

[brahmachicks]

Great idea! I hadn't thought of that. Thank you!

 

[aart]

Ice, and especially water dunk, are rather extreme....tho the ice might help if it's hot where you live.

Raised wire crate works for me in 3 days.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[minichicks05]

Well in my opinion I think the water would be a last resort if you need to really break her.But at least it has a plus to it you can give her a bath

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