Broodiness Cycle

[MotherOfChickens]

3 days isn't long enough. A week at least. Nothing underneath for bedding. Just open air. Need to cool off those raging hormones.

3 days is plenty. She is broke. She has completely left the nest a couple days ago... in a couple weeks, she will lay for a bit, then decide to go broody again. No need for me to lock her in there for longer than 3days if she has no interest in sitting on the nest. She is just a broody gal.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Something crossed my mind, in those roll-away nest boxes they don't use nesting material, so the egg can roll away easy.
So I'm thinking they want the chicken to go in, lay and egg and come out and not have it sat there, having nesting material can perhaps encourage hens to go broody, so I am removing the nesting material from the nest boxes and see if they still lay.
I have already ordered some roll-away boxes so in the mean time I'll try this.

Occasionally my girls kick all the bedding out of the nests and still lay.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Our black astrolop gets broody too. Then she goes to jail for 2-3 days. Usually happens a couple times each summer. She and our Americana really want to hatch some eggs. I've explained the rules to them a couple times. Think they are just career criminals.

Haha repeat offenders like my Jail Bird Betty

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Broodiness is contagious in my flock. "Oh, look at sister's cute babies! And hear that chirp? I must have some, too!"

 

[Henriettamom919]

Broodiness is contagious in my flock. "Oh, look at sister's cute babies! And hear that chirp? I must have some, too!"

Kind of like the mentality I develop when I see everyone's newly hatched fluffy butts with their mama hens! "Oh, isn't that the CUTEST thing ever? I want to do that with my Cluckers!" Knowing full well we have no rooster and I'd have to get one AND my husband would probably snap doesn't phase me in the way it should

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Kind of like the mentality I develop when I see everyone's newly hatched fluffy butts with their mama hens! "Oh, isn't that the CUTEST thing ever? I want to do that with my Cluckers!" Knowing full well we have no rooster and I'd have to get one AND my husband would probably snap doesn't phase me in the way it should

Lol... I'd love to let her hatch eggs... I have no husband to worry about, just not enough room lol... so my argument t is with myself lol

 

[Henriettamom919]

Lol... I'd love to let her hatch eggs... I have no husband to worry about, just not enough room lol... so my argument t is with myself lol

I have that argument too...and lose every time!

 

[FCABARLE]

The frying pan will break her broodiness for certain!!

 

[Ila88]

I have a hen that is CONSTANTLY going broody. I usually give her the 3 days in broody jail to break her. Well, for the first time I decided to let nature do it's thing and her broodiness break on it's own... My question is, how long does that generally take?
T.I.A.

I have had no luck breaking them or waiting for them to stop. One of my hens sat for 6 weeks last year till I finally got some eggs for her. Now I just get a few fertilized eggs and enjoy the chicks which I sell or give away when they are old enough. If you really don't want chicks, maybe sell the hen to someone who does. Some people wait and wait for a broody!

 

[aart]

If you really don't want chicks, maybe sell the hen to someone who does. Some people wait and wait for a broody!

I did that, she never went broody again.