Broody Breaking Help

[Welllaidacres]

I have an australorp hen who has gone broody. For 3 days I kicked her out of the nest box as often as I could. On the 4th day I put her in a 24x30 dog crate that I flipped upside down so she was on the narrower spaced section for the floor. She has food and water. It is resting on bricks in my 10x15 coop. She has about an 8" section of 2x4 to "roost" on so shes not on the wire all the time. It has been 4 days since she's been in a jail and still no luck. Do I just need to be more persistent? I am wrong by leaving her in the 10x15 coop. The gate to the run is open and the hens for the most part spend their day in the 15x20 run, but the food and water is in the coop, so they venture back and forth through the day.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Random question: why do you need to break her?

 

[Welllaidacres]

I do not have a rooster. She is sitting on unfertilized eggs. I also do not need any more chicks. I'd like to break her of her broodiness so that she will return to eating, drinking, and laying like normal. She is also starting to pull out her breast feathers and looking a little disheveled.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some broodies are a little more determined than others...

So you've actually tested her by letting her out once a day to see what she does? I assume she stays in jail all day and night otherwise?

 

[aart]

It has been 4 days since she's been in a jail and still no luck.

So she was in the crate for 4 days (24/7) then you let her out and she went right back to the nest? Got pics of breaker crate?

It's fine to leave crate in the coop, hard to move that big of a crate tho putting her out into the run or yard during the day might help in breaking her. I learned that one while breaking a broody during a heat wave when it was too hot in coop.

 

[Welllaidacres]

So she was in the crate for 4 days (24/7) then you let her out and she went right back to the nest? Got pics of breaker crate?

It's fine to leave crate in the coop, hard to move that big of a crate tho putting her out into the run or yard during the day might help in breaking her. I learned that one while breaking a broody during a heat wave when it was too hot in coop.

Yes, she's been jailed for 4 days. I do not have pictures, but will take some tonight.

I let her out each evening to see how she reacts. Rather then go out in the run with the other hens she went to the nest box. I've let her out when the hens are roosting and placed her on the roost and she hopped off and went to the nest.

 

[Dinoroar]

I’ve had luck several times now by letting them sit for the day and then at night taking them and putting them on the roost with the rest of the flock. I had one girl broken this way after one night and two others that took a bit longer. The longest I had to do 3 times. I like this way better than crating because it didn’t make me feel sorry for the hen like I always have crating.

I did learn to make sure it’s all the way dark when I move them. I tried a couple times moving them at bedtime when the flock was turning in but my broody girl was still awake enough to get wise and ran back to her nest. After dark though they’re in that weird chicken sleep mode and just stay where they’re put.

 

[aart]

Yes, she's been jailed for 4 days. I do not have pictures, but will take some tonight.

I let her out each evening to see how she reacts. Rather then go out in the run with the other hens she went to the nest box. I've let her out when the hens are roosting and placed her on the roost and she hopped off and went to the nest.

I would then leave her in the crate 24/7 for 3 days, then try the 'out at near roost time' thing.

 

[Lyndzie]

We have a stubborn broody. You can get her a chick or two and then rehome them when she’s done raising them. It’s a losing battle to fight with mother nature.