Broody during the winter

[Karlkurla Chooks]

My Light Sussex hen, Martha, had laid her first clutch of eggs. Last Friday I found her staying in the nest much longer than usual, and when I went closer to her I heard that particular broody cluck...

On Saturday she was still there...a moody broody booby as you can see...!

I made a 'Broody Box' - approximating a wire dog crate using some old metal cart I found on the kerb, and wrapped it in wire netting. I installed a recycled plastic tray and metal biscuit tin for food and water. I put Martha inside then transferred the Broody Box to inside the coop so she could sleep near the flock. She managed to squeeze out of there and went straight back crankily to her nest! So I let her be and the next morning I tied on some green plastic tree netting to make it more secure.


Martha was not pleased!

After a while her mates came up curiously, some pecking at the grain she had spilled. I sat with her and watched them all in the backyard.

After a while Martha seemed to settle down.

Or so I thought!

Sunday night I put her and her Broody Box back in the coop, out of the cold. She seemed a little more content with the situation.



On Monday I found she had done a massive broody poop right in the food tray! (No pictures of that...!)
I transferred her to near the back door to shelter her from the wind and rain that fell during the day.

At dusk I took her out of the Broody Box, hoping that the cold weather had helped break her out of her incubation behaviour. Alas it had not, as she immediately went back to her nest! I took her out and placed her on the perch but she went straight back again. I let her be, then a few hours later when she was sleepy I shifted her again.


Lets see what happens on Tuesday...

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

Alas she is back in the nest!

However I learned today that winter is not so bad for broody hens.
It is the hot summer months where a hen being broody is a concern, due to the heat causing them to dehydrate a lot more. So after a few weeks of sitting in a nest and barely only getting up once a day for a sip, nibble, quick dust bath and massive poop, they become malnourished very fast...

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

Martha has been broody all week. She seems fine. I take her out of her nest occasionally much to her annoyance, but she's so cute about her fussing that I'm not too concerned. It has been very cold recently.

 

[BDutch]

Why did you lock her up like this? Are you trying to break her broodiness?
If not , she should have the opportunity to eat, drink, take a dustbath and walk around as she pleases.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

Why did you lock her up?
She should have the opportunity to eat, drink, take a dustbath and walk around as she pleases.

Because I was trying to entirely break her from being broody. She had food and water with her in the cage I made. Whenever I took her out of her nest she would immediately go back to the nest rather than scratch in the dirt and dust-bathe.

I followed this advice:
Broody Breaking ala Aart

The problem with my setup though was it was a little cumbersome to move around, when I'd put her inside the coop to sleep near her flock in the warmth. I may have to resort to getting an actual wire dog crate that is easier to shift.

The other problem as you can see is that my setup has open containers for food and water, which were getting soiled by poop. Aart's setup prevented this by using bottles fixed to the outside of the crate.
What I might do in future is just put a wide mesh wall in front of the containers so she can stick her head through without getting stuck.
Half the time the log rolled around so she was standing in the food and water.


Right now I am just letting her being broody, since it is the middle of winter, and will see how she is in a few weeks' time. For summer time though I have to be ready.

 

[BDutch]

I got confused because you named the cage to break your broody a broody box.
A brooder box for a broody accommodates mom AND chicks and is preferable a small coop with an attached run.

I can’t help you with this process in a cage. I never use one with unwanted broodies.