Broody hen - am I handling this right?

[Thumper51]

Have you tried making them with Miracle Whip? Some people prefer that, as it's sweeter. Me, I'm a mayo girl all the way!

Me too on the mayo! I recently switched from Hellman's to Duke's and I like the Duke's brand so much more!

 

[rosemarythyme]

She was losing weight and her comb was getting a little droopy. I think, ultimately, she'll be better off after she's broken. Plus - I like my eggs!

All good reasons for breaking her. She'll be a lot less grumpy when she's over it as well. I find that 3 days is about average for breaking but it really depends on the individual chicken and how long they've been broody for.

 

[Thumper51]

All good reasons for breaking her. She'll be a lot less grumpy when she's over it as well. I find that 3 days is about average for breaking but it really depends on the individual chicken and how long they've been broody for.

Thank you!

 

[Thumper51]

to break a broody it's usually off the ground if I remember right, I will tell you she's acting like my persistent broody and that did not work for her, I got her some fertilized eggs and let her do it before persistent killed her as nothing else was working

FYI last night I rigged the broody cage so it is hanging from the roosting poles and she is off the ground. It looks like a Medieval torture cage hanging in the center of the coop lol. I did let her out to free range for a couple hours but blocked off the nesting boxes. Then back to the broody cage at roosting time! Day #2!

 

[slordaz]

good job, sometimes we succeed sometimes we don't with them. I did 3 days, first time 5 days second she continued, and 7 days subsequently, in hind sight would probably just get her some eggs and let her hatch em if she doesn't break after 5 days in broody cage, due to the fact they don't eat as well when broody and then they got 21 days once you give them the eggs to hatch out, you don't want your hen to suffer and go downhill from being broody. When a hen goes broody her boddy temp is up so the idea is to get her cooled down I do believe but maybe one fo the others can explain it better if that isn't correctly put

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I gave mine a cool bath yesterday afternoon for as long as she and my creaky knees would stand it. Was probably close to ten minutes. Then I let her free range by herself until time to let everybody else out, probably a couple of hours, so she couldn't get back to her nest. I have been gone all day and will soon be home to check on her. Fingers crossed, but if she is back on the nest she will get another cool bath and go into a wire dog crate at bed time. In the coop, of course.

 

[Thumper51]

I gave mine a cool bath yesterday afternoon for as long as she and my creaky knees would stand it. Was probably close to ten minutes. Then I let her free range by herself until time to let everybody else out, probably a couple of hours, so she couldn't get back to her nest. I have been gone all day and will soon be home to check on her. Fingers crossed, but if she is back on the nest she will get another cool bath and go into a wire dog crate at bed time. In the coop, of course.

Best of luck!

 

[aart]

The cool(not COLD) water dip can work, especially if it's really hot out. especially if used in conjunction with a wire crate.
Crate doesn't need to be suspended way up high, just high enough to get some air flow underneath.


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.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Best of luck!

Thanks! And yes, she was back on the nest.

 

[Thumper51]

The cool(not COLD) water dip can work, especially if it's really hot out. especially if used in conjunction with a wire crate.
Crate doesn't need to be suspended way up high, just high enough to get some air flow underneath.


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.
View attachment 1885941

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! It's helpful to get a feel for typical behaviors and our responses.