Broody bunch and I don't want it....

[Futuregreenefarm]

I have a lot of broodiness going through my flock. I only have 7 hens but I am running at least 2 screeching and turkey acting hens off their eggs each week. It has affected all the hens at least once with only one exception. This may be dumb but I think my runt hen (who "goes broody" every time someone else does) uses it as a defense mechanism. Is that possible? Even the head hen leaves her alone when she walks around fluffed up and clucking like a time bomb. I have a "jail" and use it regularly. I only have one with a divider so I can only put 2 in and sometimes I have more than that walking around clucking. I put the ones staying in the nest boxes in the jail. Sometimes I take up the boxes after I collect eggs to keep them out of them. I am lost as what to do. They are noisy and fuss loudly and a lot during the day and one or two have even acted somewhat aggressively towards me by screeching and refusing to move outta my way to the nest boxes. Anything I can do to put an end to broodiness?? I can't let anyone sit on eggs. I am already at max capacity.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Get non broody breeds next time? Not much you can do except to keep breaking them. It's still in many birds nature to want to lay eggs for hatching. There are breeds where the instinct has been bred out, and breeds it hasn't been. I keep a lot of broody breeds myself. I just keep breaking them too.

 

[WallyG74]

I’m sorry, it’s funny but it’s not! Your description is fairly hilarious. I had a broody hen a couple weeks ago. We have no rooster so there’s no way I was letting her nest. I “broke” her the very first day as in, I got her off the nest and back to roosting. She finally laid an egg today after about two weeks.

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

All of my hens are from the head hen. She is just a mix. I basically just adopted her and her chicks. My mother took 4 hens for herself and she isn't having any problems. However I do have the mother hen who I have broken (or at least I thought I had) about 4 times now. The pecking order is hard in my flock as well. I think I really shouldn't have taken in a feral hen cuz it has changed how I feel about hens. I won't add anymore. The head hen tries to run them off as soon as they are old enough. If I ever start over I will research and purchase docile breeds I hope.

 

[WallyG74]

Hard times...

 

[aart]

Get more jail crates?
Maybe get rid of the broodiest?
Move her, and a buddy, to your mothers flock?

Had a broody I broke 7 times one summer, after she hatched in March.
Finally gave her away to someone who wanted a broody, she never went broody again.

 

[NatJ]

Had a broody I broke 7 times one summer, after she hatched in March.
Finally gave her away to someone who wanted a broody, she never went broody again.

Now if you could just figure out what the differences were, that made her inclined to go broody at your place and not at the other place--all the folks that DO want their hens to go broody would be delighted to know!

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

I wish I could give her away. I haven't been able to find anyone around my area who want mixed chickens even free but I always tell the truth about them. People here want breeds or TS chicks. I can't rehome roosters or even hens.

Have y'all ever had hens who acted aggressively towards y'all? Like I don't mean in the box as you take them out, I expected them to not want to leave the nesting box. But the runt has gone into the house while other hens are nesting and sit on the roost and tried to fluff up and screech and not move outta my way. Like normally she runs if I get within a mile of her but twice now I have had to get a stick to push her off the roost (cause she was pecking my hands also) and outta the house to get to the other hens and the eggs. Now is that normal?

 

[WallyG74]

Normal for a chicken that cares little for her own safety.

 

[MGG]

I wish I could give her away. I haven't been able to find anyone around my area who want mixed chickens even free but I always tell the truth about them. People here want breeds or TS chicks. I can't rehome roosters or even hens.

Have y'all ever had hens who acted aggressively towards y'all? Like I don't mean in the box as you take them out, I expected them to not want to leave the nesting box. But the runt has gone into the house while other hens are nesting and sit on the roost and tried to fluff up and screech and not move outta my way. Like normally she runs if I get within a mile of her but twice now I have had to get a stick to push her off the roost (cause she was pecking my hands also) and outta the house to get to the other hens and the eggs. Now is that normal?

@CluckNDoodle do you or do you know of anyone who wants a broody hen? OP is in GA so thought I'd ask. Good luck @Futuregreenefarm with your broodies. I always wanted one of my hens to go broody, but they never do. Even my "broody breeds" don't go broody.