broody. again. and LOUD

[Trishkabob]

One of our hens has been in and out of broodiness for a month or so. She is a blue easter egger, about 3 and a good layer. We keep lifting her out of the nest box and carrying her away from it before putting her down. She gets water and eats and hangs out with the others briefly but goes back in. This can last a week or so. but then twice she has simply stopped-she comes out in the morning with the others and that's it.
But then a few days later she is back at it and when I lift her out we go through the usual routine but she clucks and crows almost non stop when she is out. It's loud and annoying and she is obviously unhappy. Her behavior seems normal (dustbathes, eats, etc. ) but the racket makes me want her to go broody again! And in a few days she likely will. We miss her eggs and I hate seeing her so stressed. I haven't tried the cage for a number of reasons but I suppose I could. Not sure she won't be ok for a few days and then be at it again.
Thoughts?

 

[21hens-incharge]

If she goes broody again maybe give her 2 chicks to raise?

If handing a hen chicks I wait til they have been broody 2+ weeks and keep a close eye the first 3-4 days in case she rejects them. In the case of rejection be prepared to brood them yourself.

Hens can be so fickle.

 

[Trishkabob]

If she goes broody again maybe give her 2 chicks to raise?

If handing a hen chicks I wait til they have been broody 2+ weeks and keep a close eye the first 3-4 days in case she rejects them. In the case of rejection be prepared to brood them yourself.

Hens can be so fickle.

I actually tried that. We got 5 chicks the first time she was broody and had been for a couple of weeks. We put 2 of them under her at night and she went after them immediately and tried pecking them hard and they would have been hurt so we put them back in the brooder. It might have been that they were a few days old already when we did it.
She was out this evening before they all went back to the henhouse so fingers crossed but I'm not that hopeful we're done.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I actually tried that. We got 5 chicks the first time she was broody and had been for a couple of weeks. We put 2 of them under her at night and she went after them immediately and tried pecking them hard and they would have been hurt so we put them back in the brooder. It might have been that they were a few days old already when we did it.
She was out this evening before they all went back to the henhouse so fingers crossed but I'm not that hopeful we're done.

Sounds like she was maybe not fully ready or is just a bad mom.

I would either broody break her or let her sit it out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would just break her in a cage each time and be done with it, no reason to have these prolonged periods of broodiness when she's not going to be raising chicks.