Broody Hen- 6 Weeks and Counting

[Lisa-Lu]

We have a bantam cochin who has been broody since the first of February. I tried the cage method for over a week, it didn't break her. She has now plucked feathers out of a huge area on her chest and continues to brood and squawk. She is coming out to eat still, and will dust bathe with encouragement. She still seems to be healthy, but she is on my last nerve!! Why hasnt she broke yet?

 

[Chickassan]

Have you tried putting cold packs underneath her?
You need to wrap them in paper towels or thin cloth so her skin stays safe but she needs that belly cooled.

 

[21hens-incharge]

How was your broody breaker cage set up?

Bantam cochins are notoriously broody and hard to break.
I give in and give mine a couple day old chicks to raise.

 

[Lisa-Lu]

Have you tried putting cold packs underneath her?
You need to wrap them in paper towels or thin cloth so her skin stays safe but she needs that belly cooled.

I have not tried that, would she just get up and go to another nesting box that was warm? She moves between them all the time.

 

[Lisa-Lu]

How was your broody breaker cage set up?

Bantam cochins are notoriously broody and hard to break.
I give in and give mine a couple day old chicks to raise.

Here it was:

 

[Chickassan]

You can't give her that option lol.

I have not tried that, would she just get up and go to another nesting box that was warm? She moves between them all the time.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I usually let mine hatch chicks so I'm not proficient at breaking broodies but I did try this year and failed miserably....Hatching chicks in a couple of days. lol

 

[21hens-incharge]

You can't give her that option lol.

Yup, make it no option.

In the broody breaker until broken. Ice packs should go in or under the breaker so her belly cools off.

Six weeks is a long time to be broody. It takes a tole on them.

For her health she needs either broken or given chicks at this point.

 

[Lisa-Lu]

@21hens-incharge @Chickassan would holding her in my lap for a while on the ice pack help? I don’t know how else to get her to stay on it?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Was she actually acting broody while in the breaker cage?

Do you have electric in your coop?
If you do I would set up a small (desktop size) fan to oscillate and circulate the air under her.

Can you relocate the broody breaker so during the day it is in the run under full shade...for real ALL DAY SHADE. Wouldn't want her ending up stuck in the sun and dying from it.
Up on cinder blocks and in the brighter light of the run with all the others milling about might help disturb her enough to break.

My 10+ year old bantam goes broody EVERY YEAR. If I don't give her chicks I battle her all summer.