Breaking a broody

[EggsBeesSeeds]

I have a broody hen that reliably goes broody 2-3 times a year. I love having her raise chicks for me. But right now she is broody and it is a very bad time for her to sit so I need to break her. My question is will breaking her of her current broodiness make her not nearly as inclined to sit in the future or will she get back on her broody cycle a few months from now like nothing ever happened? Thanks!

 

[brahmabreeder]

It depends on the bird as to whether this will affect anything. One was you could break her is to take her and dunk her into a bucket of cold water. A wire bottomed cage is also said to help.

 

[TwoCrows]

I had a broody last summer that went broody 4 times. Each time I did the cold water broody dunk and the cage method. These did break her broodiness at the time, however it seemed that she got even more broody each time I broke her of it.

I will say that each time she got depressed when I wouldn't allow her to be broody and after her last ditch effort at broodiness, she went into a molt in early August.

Some broodies are very determined and once their hormones start raging, it is hard to get them to stop.

Good luck!

 

[azygous]

My "serial" broodies have demonstrated no reluctance to repeated bouts. I have a two-year old Speckled Sussex who has been broody nine times in her brief life so far, and she was subjected to the broody-breaking cage each time.

 

[EggsBeesSeeds]

Thanks everyone. I feel much better about breaking her now. She's in a wire bottom broody bin as we speak, and very upset! Glad to hear she'll probably be back on some eggs in a few months after this bout. She is a very good mom. I would hate to forcefully remove such good mothering instincts from my flock after raising so many good strong chicks!