Broody Hen? Can I stop her?

[amandauc09]

Hello,

I am into year two with my three hens (2 Black Sex Links and 1 Red Sex Link) and all has been going well, everyone laying an egg a day, until recently (about two weeks ago. I started to notice one of the black sex links was staying in the nesting box while the other two would come out and free range. When I would go near her she would puff up real big and make a hissing sound, I also realized she had stopped laying her usual egg a day and that she wasn't getting along with the other two hens (the alpha will chase/peck her when they are out and she will peck the non-alpha). I didn't know being broody was a thing until a little over a week ago (7/20). Once I realized what was happening I removed her from the coop and placed her in a completely wire enclosure set up off the ground right outside the coop (other hens still visible) with only food and water. The only time I remove her from the enclosure is when I let all the hens out to free range (at least once a day) and at night, after the other two have laid their eggs, I place her in the coop so she is able to roost (which she does every night). We are going on a little over a week with this process and as of two days ago she plucked nearly all her breast feathers out (she does not eat them, just plucks them out).

I'm willing to keep all this up if it will break her of her brood but wasn't sure if anyone had any other recommendations or suggestions, or an idea of how long this will take/when I should stop?

 

[sourland]

I'd try leaving her in the broody cage full time instead of returning her to the coop at night.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

I've got a couple broody hens, what I did was I took the eggs out from under them, picked them up, and sat them down on the ground. This continued a couple days until it finally clicked that she cannot have babies at the moment.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I've got a couple broody hens, what I did was I took the eggs out from under them, picked them up, and sat them down on the ground. This continued a couple days until it finally clicked that she cannot have babies at the moment.

Unfortunately that doesn't always work; I can say that from experience.

I'd try leaving her in the broody cage full time instead of returning her to the coop at night.

I agree. She should "quit" after 3-4 days in my (limited) experience.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

Unfortunately that doesn't always work; I can say that from experience.


I agree. She should "quit" after 3-4 days in my (limited) experience.

Right. It's worth a shot though.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Right. It's worth a shot though.

If the hen has already been kept in a broody jail daily for a week and hasn't snapped out of it, you have already gone above and beyond simply removing her from the nest and sitting them elsewhere. In my experience if this method is going to work, it works very quickly or not at all.

 

[SLOChick]

I had that happen with a Barred Rock. She went through a broody stage about twice a year. I would just take her out of the coop, put her outside with the other hens, and close the coop door so she couldn't run back in. It sometimes took up to 2 weeks for her brain to reset.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had that happen with a Barred Rock. She went through a broody stage about twice a year. I would just take her out of the coop, put her outside with the other hens, and close the coop door so she couldn't run back in. It sometimes took up to 2 weeks for her brain to reset.

I tried that too and locked out a hen wanting to lay eggs and caused numerous hens to start laying in the woods or outside the door of the coop. (I free range.) I've tried every method under the sun to break a broody because broody jail seemed so cruel. Broody jail was 100% the easiest, fastest, and most effective way of breaking her.

 

[amandauc09]

Thank you all for your insight and sharing your personal experiences! Sounds like I’m going to keep her in the cage full time, except for the times I let them free range.

Should I give her something to perch on at night in the cage?

 

[amandauc09]

I've got a couple broody hens, what I did was I took the eggs out from under them, picked them up, and sat them down on the ground. This continued a couple days until it finally clicked that she cannot have babies at the moment.

Yes, I've already done this. She hasn't been sitting on any eggs for over a week, but she is still definitely broody.