Broody hen - crate questions

[Kayla's Lunch]

I have a GLW that is almost a year old. She has been broody since last Tuesday. I have been taking her out of the nest and forcing her to be outside with the other 10 chickens and putting her in a crate. We put her on the roost at night. When she wakes up, she goes back in the nest and we don't get her out of there until around 10am. She is still broody. Do I need to keep her in the crate all day and night to totally keep her from going back into the nest box? We have 4 nest boxes and she has a favorite, but will go in any of them. I have her in a dog crate with the plastic pan that came with the crate in there with her. I saw something about putting it up on boards to raise it up. Does that mean she would just be on the wire bottom and nothing else? I am going to try the ice pack approach later when I get home. Thanks for any help.

 

[azygous]

The basic principle in breaking a broody is to deprive her of a solid surface that will reflect her body heat back at her. A roosting perch does this, prolonging her broody hormones. Even turning her loose but keeping her blocked from nesting boxes will delay the broody-breaking since she can still hunker down on the ground, and it relfects her body heat.

So, yes, the cage must be open mesh, no solid surface to the bottom in order to be effective. Air must circulate under a brooder.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When some hens go broody it is all out full fledged broody from the get go. Others sort of ease their way into it. If you can catch one that eases into it before she fully commits you can sometimes break her by disrupting her a little, like you were doing. But if they have fully flipped, it takes more effort.

Yes, putting the wire dog crate up on blocks so air can get under her and letting her stand on the wires a pretty good method. I hang mine from the coop roof. The wire in those dog cages is smooth, no sharp points to chew up her feet. Standing on the wire will not hurt her and the poop falls on through. I've used that method and it can be very effective. I leave them in there day and night for 72 hours, with food and water of course. I do not let them out. I want to beak them as fast as I can and without making me do more work than is necessary. Occasionally 72 hours is not enough. If she heads for the nest when I let her out she gets another 72 hours.

 

[aart]

Does that mean she would just be on the wire bottom and nothing else?

Yes.
You may need to add smaller wire mesh to bottom of crate.
Some pics of your crate would help here.
You can add a piece of 2x4 to the bottom of crate to give her feet a resting.

For some reason I think I may have given you this info before<scratcheshead> but...

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 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.
If you look closely you can see how I added the 1x2 mesh to the bottom.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks for the help. I also wondered about getting some chicks to put under her. If I do that and she accepts them, can I keep her in the dog crate with the chicks in the run? The other 10 chickens (no roosters) will see them, but not touch. If this is okay, when would I start letting her and the chicks out with the other chickens? Anything I else I should know? Thanks.

 

[aart]

Thanks for the help. I also wondered about getting some chicks to put under her. If I do that and she accepts them, can I keep her in the dog crate with the chicks in the run? The other 10 chickens (no roosters) will see them, but not touch. If this is okay, when would I start letting her and the chicks out with the other chickens? Anything I else I should know? Thanks.

I'd give her/them more room than the crate I showed.
I have a 4x6 space in coop with separate run for chicks and or a broody to set and hatch.
I let the broody and chicks back into flock one week after hatch, with creep feed area for chicks.

This is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks for all your help. Yesterday I got 4 little chicks, 2 Black Australop, 1 Black Cochin, and 1 Easter Egger. Late last night I put them under my little broody hen. She seemed to take to them right away. We watched them on the camera for quite awhile to make sure that any that came out from under her, she would put back, which she did. This morning I watched on the camera to make sure when they woke up, she would be nice to them. It was very cute to watch them come out from under her, look around a bit, get some food and then go back under her. Around noon time, I checked them all for pasty butt, since one had it when we first got them, and she was fine. She is let me check them out, but seems a little watchful. She was also willing to eat a cooked scrambled egg. I mashed it up really well. The little chicks came and pecked at her beak to get some. They are in a crate in the run with the other 10 hens. aart, is this crate big enough for them to stay in for a week before I try letting them join the flock? Can we play with the chicks if she doesn't get
upset about it? I can't believe how incredibly cute this whole adventure is!!!

 

[aart]

aart, is this crate big enough for them to stay in for a week before I try letting them join the flock? Can we play with the chicks if she doesn't get
upset about it?

I suppose it's big enough.
Yes.

 

[micstrachan]

Isn’t this such a cool experience? It’s my first time having a broody raise chicks, too. I had them in a little cage for a week! Today they are exploring in a separate part of the run. Not sure what will happen at roosting time today, but I think tomorrow I’ll give her the option of taking them to the big coop outside the cage.

 

[aart]

Isn’t this such a cool experience? It’s my first time having a broodyvraise chicks, too. I had them in a little cage for a week! Today they are exploring in a separate part of the run. Mot sure what will happen at roosting time today, but I think tomorrow I’ll give her the option of taking them to the big coop outside the cage.

It is cool....leave crate open she'll probably bring them back there to shelter/sleep.