Broody AGAIN

[City Farmer Jim]

Please don't hate me for asking this and my girlfriend,SO or whatever is politically correct now thinks she is correct on this question: being that it has been said on here that a broody hen is a hormonal issue is it possible that it is like a "period" type of condition? Here is why I am asking, the best we can remember it has been almost a month since she was broody and we have a full moon now ...she went broody a day or two ago. Do you think it is cyclical?

 

[aart]

Nope.
Chickens ovulate almost every day, and they do not menstruate.
Broodiness varies greatly with chickens,
some never go broody, some are serial broodies.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Well she's a serial broody orpington then ...thanks ..we did some research and kinda understand that once she lays her egg the next egg forming right away..just trying to figure out if there is a rhythm or reason for it...we have relegated ourselves to being ready to put her in "jail" do you wait until she stays in the coop/nest box or do YOU put her in when she exhibits the first sign...she has a throaty cluck she only uses when she is broody almost a growl. She REALLY growls when she is FULL ON BROODY.

 

[MarkJr]

I jail mine when she returns directly back to nest box when I toss her off.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Tomorrow morning is the due date for incarceration...I toss her out and she goes and forages and drinks for 15 -20 ish minutes and then slips back in ever so sneaky.

 

[MarkJr]

I’ve read releasing every 24 hours until she decides not to set works. My broody doesn’t break that easy. 3 days typically does it. I put her totally isolated so she has to preserve pecking order (she’s top hen)

 

[City Farmer Jim]

We've done 3, 4 and 4 days to break her and really thought she was completely cured this last time but alas not to be. She went into jail the second time as 3rd or 4th out of 5 in the pecking order but came out stomping around and kinda took over as head hen..she is the biggest girl but the real head hen let her have her own way for 2 or 3 days then slid her back to number 2.

 

[aart]

we have relegated ourselves to being ready to put her in "jail" do you wait until she stays in the coop/nest box or do YOU put her in when she exhibits the first sign...she has a throaty cluck she only uses when she is broody almost a growl. She REALLY growls when she is FULL ON BROODY.

With my serial broody I began to recognize the condition before she spendst one night in the nest.
What does your broody jail look like?
It's hot where you are, might get her belly good and wet before crating her and/or put a frozen liter of water in the crate with her.
When I was breaking her during the hot summer I had to move her around to the shade several times a day, I think the change of scenery(rather than just in the coop) helped break her quicker.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Our "jail" is a 30"x36" "bunny" cage, she is in the one spot in all of the chicken area that has shade all day. I put cardboard on the bottom so it's easier to walk on, fresh food and water daily. She Brussels up and growls for the first day and a half then starts the healing process for another day and a half or two and we see how she is after that

 

[Chickenmeme]

I’m new at this, so stupid question I guess but why dont you want them to hatch the eggs?