Brooding Hen

[orfan40]

Good morning fellow BYC folks! I once again turn to you all for some advice. I need to see if there is something we can do to 'break' one of our hens from brooding. She is a BR and the head of the pecking order. We only have four chickens. We went on a trip Thursday the 17th and were gone till Saturday. Prior to the trip all were acting like 'normal' chickens. We had a friend coming over to feed the dogs and the chickens. Well, now upon our return we've found Sky hanging out in one of our coops (the one she chose as her laying spot) non-stop. When we open the top of the coop it appears as if she's sleeping then she starts something akin to a growl and is all 'spread out' like she's making herself big. After some prodding she will get up and exit the coop to then run to the feeder and start eating. Once she's been out for awhile she will join the others out in the yard to peck around for bugs or whatever. However, she returns to the coop to start the whole thing over. Most of the time there hasn't been an egg because we've already gathered it but yesterday there was one that I scooped up as soon as she got roused. I have read about some wire cage thing that you put them in but is that the only way? Thanks ahead of time for any advice.

 

[aart]

I have read about some wire cage thing that you put them in but is that the only way?

Welcome to BYC!
It's not the only way, but it's the best and fastest way IMO.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

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.

 

[orfan40]

Welcome to BYC!
It's not the only way, but it's the best and fastest way IMO.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

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.

Thank you for your reply. My coop isn't big enough to put the dog kennel in. We do have one that the chickens spent their young days in that's just like yours. My quandry now is where to put it and her. If I put her outside in their run should I cover the kennel partially for cover/nighttime and should I put it where she can or cannot see the coop?

 

[aart]

Thank you for your reply. My coop isn't big enough to put the dog kennel in. We do have one that the chickens spent their young days in that's just like yours. My quandry now is where to put it and her. If I put her outside in their run should I cover the kennel partially for cover/nighttime and should I put it where she can or cannot see the coop?

It's OK if she sees the coop and flock, better IMO, but needs to be protected from rain, wind, predators.

 

[orfan40]

It's OK if she sees the coop and flock, better IMO, but needs to be protected from rain, wind, predators.

Cool, thanks. So far, we've tried locking her out of the coop that she broods in, took the straw out of the nest she broods in and blocked off that side of the coop. Nothing has worked. Today she hasn't laid an egg which is the first day, she was giving eggs until today (day isn't over though). I guess the last step will be the dog kennel. I will feel so bad for her .

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't feel bad, your chicken will be in better condition if you can break her of broodiness sooner rather than later.

I also don't have room in my coop for a cage so I just use a covered dog pen and place it in the run, so my broody(s) can still see and somewhat interact with the others, just can't get back to sit on the nest. I keep them in it for about 3 days, then I let them out to test their behavior. If they head back to the nest box then it's back in the pen for 24 hrs, otherwise they're free to rejoin the others.

 

[orfan40]

Don't feel bad, your chicken will be in better condition if you can break her of broodiness sooner rather than later.

I also don't have room in my coop for a cage so I just use a covered dog pen and place it in the run, so my broody(s) can still see and somewhat interact with the others, just can't get back to sit on the nest. I keep them in it for about 3 days, then I let them out to test their behavior. If they head back to the nest box then it's back in the pen for 24 hrs, otherwise they're free to rejoin the others.

Okay, she is in the dog kennel inside the run. She is definitely not happy and I still feel so bad (she is our 'baby' of the flock). So, I came in the house so I can't see her. I put water and feed with some scratch in the kennel and put a board in there for a roost so she doesn't have to stand on the wires all the time. I guess we'll see.

 

[orfan40]

Don't feel bad, your chicken will be in better condition if you can break her of broodiness sooner rather than later.

I also don't have room in my coop for a cage so I just use a covered dog pen and place it in the run, so my broody(s) can still see and somewhat interact with the others, just can't get back to sit on the nest. I keep them in it for about 3 days, then I let them out to test their behavior. If they head back to the nest box then it's back in the pen for 24 hrs, otherwise they're free to rejoin the others.

I have to thank rosemarythyme and aart for their advise on our broody hen. It took a couple of days in the dog kennel, although she was let out for short periods of time, but now she is being a normal hen hanging with the others. Should be interesting to see when she starts laying again. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[BuffOrpington567]

Why would you even think of breaking a hen? She just wants to be a mama and is very determined. Its just cruel if you try and stop her. Just leave her and over time she will stop untill next year.

 

[aart]

Why would you even think of breaking a hen?

1. Not everyone has space for more chicks.
2. Half those chicks would be males and have to be 'gotten rid of'.
3. It's not good for their health to just sit without hatching.
4. Birds that are sitting don't lay eggs, I need eggs to sell to pay for feed.

Why would you even think of breaking a hen? She just wants to be a mama and is very determined. Its just cruel if you try and stop her. Just leave her and over time she will stop untill next year.

That's not true.....
-Some don't stop until they lose so much condition/health that they can die.
-Some will go broody time after time after time.

Its just cruel if you try and stop her.

Letting them get unhealthy is much more cruel.