Broody Game Hen

[mrsfitz88]

we brought home some new pullets earlier this week and now our little game hen has gone broody. 1) Is that the reason, and 2) how do we get her to stop? TIA!

 

[mrsfitz88]

Ohhh...I misinterpreted that the broody game hen was one of the new birds...sorry.

No worries!

 

[john_wrightson2003]

Stick her in a dog crate or something like it with nothin but a feeder and waterer for about 3 days, and she should be broke.

 

[crazy rooster34]

i agree with john, i put mine in a dog crate without a bottom so she couldn't keep heat under her constantly she should break in a few days, at least thats how my experiences usually go

 

[aart]

Are you sure she's broody...and not just hiding from the other birds?
I am assuming you added her to an existing flock.

These are the signs I look for:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run 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.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[mrsfitz88]

She’s definitely broody and has been part of this flock since before we got them. If anybody does the picking, it’s her

 

[aart]

She’s definitely broody and has been part of this flock since before we got them. If anybody does the picking, it’s her

Ohhh...I misinterpreted that the broody game hen was one of the new birds...sorry.