Broody Central - Help!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i used to think broodies were cute. You poke them and they puff up and make funny noises. However, i have now lost my sense of humor. Six out of my ten silkie and silkie mixes have gone broody. They are clogging up the nest boxes, even dog piling on top of any hen that goes in to lay. As soon as an egg pops out, there are two to four broodies fighting over it. Egg production has dropped to one or two per day and i risk a seriously pecked hand trying to retrieve them.

In desperation, i locked them all out of the coop yesterday, but they spent the next several hours fighting with each other and trying to get back in. And then that keeps the non-broodies from being able to get in and lay.

i am at my wits end. i'm not sure what i can do with the space i have for them. Right now it is a chicken barn with four next boxes inside a 7-1/2' x 13' run. i also have one double nest box outside in the run.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chirpy]

Wow - that would make you lose your sense of "oh, isn't that cute... I've got a broody?"

My only suggestion would be to try and de-broody them one or two at a time using the wire crate method (depending on how many crates you can find). You put one in a wire dog type crate with NO nesting material. Just give them food and water and let them sit for a few days (up to a week) and see if that stops their broody behavior. I've never done this but it seems to be the most recommended idea on here to break a broody.

Good luck and hope someone with more experience chimes in.