Broody Chicken

[Henniezues]

Hi everyone

I am new on here and new in the chicken world! We bought a house just under a year ago and inherited 2 laying chickens. They have been very easy to care for and are regular layers. They both went through the molting last year but otherwise no issues. Then about 3 days ago, after much research, we figured out one is broody. She will not get off the nest and we do not have a rooster. We’ve taken her out twice and she grazed the yard but went right back to the same box. She hasn’t layed anything in 2 days but is not happy when we try to move her. I’ve read so many different options and just want to do the best for her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

 

[Summerbirds]

Hi,do you want her to brood chicks if you do just go online and buy hatching eggs if you do not want chicks just break her.

 

[Henniezues]

I know the previous owners tried to bring in chicks and the hens did not do well.

What is the best way to break her? I feel terrible for her

 

[starrmar006]

Try This, it worked for us just do this on a nice warm day.

 

[Henniezues]

Thank you! I think we’re supposed to get some decent weather before the wkd I’ll try thst

 

[TwistedSteel]

I have a hen that has been broody for about a week now, no rooster also. I just take the eggs the other hens lay in there out every day. She will get over the broody spell in awhile on her own, nature will see to that without any of my assistance.

 

[Henniezues]

I have a hen that has been broody for about a week now, no rooster also. I just take the eggs the other hens lay in there out every day. She will get over the broody spell in awhile on her own, nature will see to that without any of my assistance.

Ok how long should we leave her be?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Cage her, either in a wire cage (like a dog crate) or some other enclosure where she can't get back to the nest, either in the coop or run. Keep her in there with food and water until she stops showing broody behavior, 3 to 5 days.

The reason you want to break her if you aren't hatching chicks is broodies don't eat, drink or take care of themselves as well as they normally would, so they may lose weight and may tear out their own belly feathers. So for her own good it's best to get her over it quickly. Plus she won't lay while broody.

 

[aart]

The dunking is drastic and unnecessary, IMO.
Tho if it is very hot a wetting of the belly in cool(not cold) water can help before crating.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

 

[Henniezues]

Cage her, either in a wire cage (like a dog crate) or some other enclosure where she can't get back to the nest, either in the coop or run. Keep her in there with food and water until she stops showing broody behavior, 3 to 5 days.

The reason you want to break her if you aren't hatching chicks is broodies don't eat, drink or take care of themselves as well as they normally would, so they may lose weight and may tear out their own belly feathers. So for her own good it's best to get her over it quickly. Plus she won't lay while broody.

Thank you-well have to build something so she can stay in the pen just not in the coop-