Broody chicken jail, enough room?

[bax_attack]

So one of my BOs went broody a few days ago. I've been forcing her off the nest a couple of times a day and she will eat, drink and take a big poop but then heads back within about 10 minutes. She had managed to pull all the feathers out of her chest and will growl at anyone who approaches the nesting box. This is causing discord with my other three chickens, as they are now forced to share one nesting box and they don't care for it. We are rooster free and it is too late in the winter for me to want to get her some day old chicks to raise so I've decided to break her of it. I found a shopping cart down the street that someone had just left there, so I acquired it and put a makeshift roof of chickenwire over it to create what seemed like a good broody jail. She has been on lockdown since this morning, and I just wanted to make sure this looks like a good make-shift broody breaker, has enough room, etc. I did make sure the spacing on the floor was small enough that her feet dont stick through.

See anything I should do or change? I'm planning on leaving her there over the weekend and seeing if she is cured on Monday.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Never would have thought to use a shopping cart!

I think she has plenty of room. You're not leaving her in there at night though, right? It's not critter proof, so if you are leaving her in there at night, I wouldn't do that anymore.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I think it's PERFECT!!!! You can just wheel it into the garage every night and put some cardboard under it and voila'! I might have to see if I can find an old thrown-away shopping cart myself!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

That's BRILLIANT.

My only suggestion is to take her out once a day to see if you've broken her. Sometimes it only takes 24 hours so don't just leave her in there for the whole weekend. Take her out after 24 hours and see fi she heads back to the nest. If yes, back to her grocery shopping she goes. If not, then it's done it's job.

 

[MommyMagpie]

Awesome! Next time I see an abandoned shopping cart I am bringing it home!

 

[bax_attack]

After three nights in the shopping cart jail and two days being blocked out of the nesting box she loves during the day, she is officially done being broody. She has been eating like a hog and is running around with the rest of the crew all day today. Not sure if she has started laying again yet, but I got three eggs today and with my four chickens, that was what I was getting most days before the broody spell.

Overall, shopping cart broody jail was a success. It was pretty convenient to roll it into the garage for night time safety. Will definitely keep it around for the next time someone starts feeling motherly.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Great job!

 

[fshinggrl]

Great idea!!! Great to hear it worked!

 

[azygous]

Genius! Perfect broody cage! And you can simply wheel her inside the garage at night. (Or service porch or other protected area)

I strongly recommend placing a fan under the "cage" to blow on her under-parts all night. This will cut short the length of time it'll require to break her - usually within 24- 36 hours.

I periodically let the broody out to stretch her legs and poop (they usually would rather not poop in the cage) and you can monitor her to see if she heads right for a nest box. When she loses that fixation on the nest box, you've achieved your objective.

 

[egghead@1265]

Awesome use of a cart- very clever!

We let our broody hatch 4 eggs, she is the most protective mother to the ones she hatched! Not sure if she'll stay broody, but for now us it worked and she keeps them warm and watches them like a Hawk! Sorry, about the Hawk reference!