Broody already? Sizzle just started laying and today it happened...

[RaeElizabeth]

Well my sizzle just started laying about 2 weeks ago, she was the 4th of our 12 to start. The rest haven’t joined them yet. And today she was sitting on all 3 eggs in the box and refused to get up. She’s tiny, so I put some gloves on and picked her up. I stood her up in front of the coop and shooed her in. She walked in herself but now I’m wondering if I did this wrong. I had no idea to expect this so soon.

 

[Avian Allie]

Well my sizzle just started laying about 2 weeks ago, she was the 4th of our 12 to start. The rest haven’t joined them yet. And today she was sitting on all 3 eggs in the box and refused to get up. She’s tiny, so I put some gloves on and picked her up. I stood her up in front of the coop and shooed her in. She walked in herself but now I’m wondering if I did this wrong. I had no idea to expect this so soon.

Frizzles, Silkies, Polish, and Seabrights go broody REALLY early in my experience. Buff Orpington can be really bad too lol.

 

[RaeElizabeth]

Frizzles, Silkies, Polish, and Seabrights go broody REALLY early in my experience. Buff Orpington can be really bad too lol.

Is just picking her up and making her go in the coop sufficient? Do I have to go through some elaborate process to “break” her safely?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Is just picking her up and making her go in the coop sufficient? Do I have to go through some elaborate process to “break” her safely?

You might. Some of mine if I look at them wrong they stop broodijg, others ice just given up trying to break. They get to be a mom and I get to have babies under my feet 9 months a year

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is just picking her up and making her go in the coop sufficient? Do I have to go through some elaborate process to “break” her safely?

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[aart]

Is just picking her up and making her go in the coop sufficient? Do I have to go through some elaborate process to “break” her safely?

Are you nests outside of the coop?
I've broken broody pullets just by tossing them out of the nest repeatedly .
Make sure she actually broody tho, some birds especially new layers, can spend quite a bit of time 'lounging' before and after laying...not good to disturb that process.

My go-to signs of a broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.