Broody hen ?!?! and what to do now ?!

[Kailuna]

Hi! I am new chicken mom. My 4 girls (2 white rock, 2 speckled Sussex) are in their 29 weeks. One Sussex called Peanut started to lay tiny egg few weeks back in the coop (probably about two weeks) then stopped. I thought it’s because it started to get colder (although we live in bay area, California so the winter is not a real winter). To my surprise, I found bunch of eggs under the bush last week.. now I regret I didn’t take them immediately (I didn’t know how to take them as they are all way back in the bush).. I just tried to block her path with cardboards but somehow she managed to reach her spot every time .. And.. 3 days ago, Peanut decided to sit on them day and night!. (Normally They roam outside their coop and run. And I lock them in the evening).

I decided to crawled under the bush and got her out right now, lol. Took her eggs and place cover and soccer balls, anything I could find to her “spot” to discourage her. I place her into the coop..

My question is.. what do I do now ?!?!
I don’t want her going back to her spot again.. but feel sorry for locking her in by herself.. and all their food and water is in the coop (others need to have an access but they are outside ). Any advice please ?

 

[cherrynberry]

Are you able to get any fertile eggs?
Is she settling in to the coop?

 

[Kailuna]

No.. I don’t have an access to fertile eggs..
Yes she seems to be calm right now.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Hi! I am new chicken mom. My 4 girls (2 white rock, 2 speckled Sussex) are in their 29 weeks. One Sussex called Peanut started to lay tiny egg few weeks back in the coop (probably about two weeks) then stopped. I thought it’s because it started to get colder (although we live in bay area, California so the winter is not a real winter). To my surprise, I found bunch of eggs under the bush last week.. now I regret I didn’t take them immediately (I didn’t know how to take them as they are all way back in the bush).. I just tried to block her path with cardboards but somehow she managed to reach her spot every time .. And.. 3 days ago, Peanut decided to sit on them day and night!. (Normally They roam outside their coop and run. And I lock them in the evening).

I decided to crawled under the bush and got her out right now, lol. Took her eggs and place cover and soccer balls, anything I could find to her “spot” to discourage her. I place her into the coop..

My question is.. what do I do now ?!?!
I don’t want her going back to her spot again.. but feel sorry for locking her in by herself.. and all their food and water is in the coop (others need to have an access but they are outside ). Any advice please ?

I see a white hen photobombed the photo on the right.
Hmm, stick maybe 2 under her, that's what I've done, and they are satisfied with even just one baby!
I've also bought day old chicks to put under a broody, it works.

 

[Kailuna]

I see a white hen photobombed the photo on the right.
Hmm, stick maybe 2 under her, that's what I've done, and they are satisfied with even just one baby!
I've also bought day old chicks to put under a broody, it works.

Lol, she always does !!
Thanks for the advice.. since their coop is so small, not sure if I can afford to get chicks. (love to!) For today, I put all of them inside of chicken coop&run. I saw someone was suggesting in other thread to keep them until lunch time to break the habit of laying egg outside. So I might keep all of them and see if it would help. I have no idea how long it take for her to get out of being bloody..

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Lol, she always does !!
Thanks for the advice.. since their coop is so small, not sure if I can afford to get chicks. (love to!) For today, I put all of them inside of chicken coop&run. I saw someone was suggesting in other thread to keep them until lunch time to break the habit of laying egg outside. So I might keep all of them and see if it would help. I have no idea how long it take for her to get out of being bloody..

Your welcome, always happy to help!

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Lol, she always does !!
Thanks for the advice.. since their coop is so small, not sure if I can afford to get chicks. (love to!) For today, I put all of them inside of chicken coop&run. I saw someone was suggesting in other thread to keep them until lunch time to break the habit of laying egg outside. So I might keep all of them and see if it would help. I have no idea how long it take for her to get out of being bloody..

Chickens are funny that way!

 

[rosemarythyme]

This might make you feel "mean" but it's better for her and the flock to break the broodiness immediately rather than draw it out.

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

This might make you feel "mean" but it's better for her and the flock to break the broodiness immediately rather than draw it out.

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

She isn't nesting in a box, she was nesting under a bush.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She isn't nesting in a box, she was nesting under a bush.

Regardless (obviously that's my copy/paste "how to break a broody") she needs to be prevented from accessing nesting site of choice. Caging does just that while also keeping cooler air flowing under her belly to break her out of broodiness.