Broodiness

[Juliel26]

i have a Golden Wyandotte that became broody this spring. She was extremely stubborn so I finally got her some fertile eggs. She hatched them out 2 months ago and she stopped mothering them at about 5 weeks of age. Now she is broody again! I don't need any more chickens right now so I'm not interested in providing her with more fertile eggs. I know about multiple methods for breaking a broody hen and I'll try them if necessary but I was wondering - will the change in seasons/outdoor temperature break her broodiness on its own? I am in Wisconsin and it will be September in a week so the days are getting shorter and the temperature will be plummeting soon. I'd love to avoid implementing the other methods if Mother Nature will do it for me. Thanks for your help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally hens won't go broody when it gets real cold, but I have had broody hens in the dead of winter. If she's older than a year she will quit when she molt. Some hens are chronically broody. Some are that way for one year but not the next.

I find it easier to break them in the wired bottom crate the minute I notice it, generally it take 3-5 days, and if done early laying only halts for a couple of weeks.