Breaking a Broody

[Kirstie1978]

I'm struggling to break my black bantam she will stop being broody and perch on the perch in the cage and then as soon as she is back out she's straight back in the coop and goes back to being broody within a few hours even if I've kept her and my silkie locked out all day. I have left her in the "cage" for a few days on a couple of occasions but she persists! I've even tried the cold water bath which I wasn't happy about but given she's been broody for over 6 weeks in the past 8 I'm struggling and worried about her. Any advice is welcomed as I really dont want her getting Ill.
Thanks
Kirstie

 

[Dawn419]

Kirstie1978,

Our Silkies stayed broody all of the time, it seemed like. I'd put them in "chicken jail", they'd get over the broody and lay a few eggs and go right back into the "zone". I hated wasting broody hens, but at the time we didn't have room to raise many chicks (rented small property) but found someone local who was looking for Silkie hens and the girls got a good home.

I kept the broody Silkies in jail for 1 - 2 weeks at a time and never fully broke them so for my sanity, I decided to quit keeping them.

They're fuzzy and cute but I keep chickens for their eggs and we just weren't getting them from that breed and they are notorious for being broody. A lesson learned for me.

Edited to add:

I've spent the past 2 summers fighting with two EE broodies in pretty much the same situation...they want to stay broody and I don't have room to expand the flock at this time.

We're homesteading on 17 acres, living in a 22' camper (just hubby and I) and I'd really like to expand my living arrangements before we do so for the chickens. Sheesh, if I wanted broodies I wouln't have one go there!