Broody hen... Have done a little research already, but...

[Love my chickens 25]

If you have a rooster and don’t mind chicks you can let her hatch some that always gets mine unbroody. Or you can find even just 2-3 chicks and secretly stick them under her and she will think they are her babies mine normally do but I only have one hen who gets chicks but that’s her issue because even her own!

 

[DobieLover]

Yeah. I think this is the route I'm going to go.

Blocking off boxes / removing nesting material isn't an option for my set up. Neither is letting her hatch eggs. It's pretty obvious that moving her 2- 4 times per day isn't working, and that's really all the time I have for such things during the week. Only option I guess is the cage.

Will try and report back. I have a huge wire dog crate, but it's all folded up and in the attic. Ugh. I'll find something. Maybe zip tie hardware cloth to the bottom. So she spends day and night there, huh? Where should I keep the cage? I was thinking in a cool shaded place in the run (100% hardware cloth with apron and wood sandwiched HW seams) with plenty of breeze and an area where others like to hang out during day.

Yes. She can't come out for 72 hours. Wherever you leave her, it must be predator-proof. Does your run have a roof on it?
I keep my breaker in a high traffic zone in my predator proof run. It's the crate next to the chair.

 

[Panhandler80]

If you have a rooster and don’t mind chicks you can let her hatch some that always gets mine unbroody. Or you can find even just 2-3 chicks and secretly stick them under her and she will think they are her babies mine normally do but I only have one hen who gets chicks but that’s her issue because even her own!

Not an option. A) No rooster. B) I'm at 100% capacity.

Yes. She can't come out for 72 hours. wherever you leave her, it must be predatorproof. Does your run have a roof on it?
I keep my breaker in a high traffic zone in my predator proof run. It's the crate next to the chair period.
View attachment 2372802

So far so good on predators. No roof per se, but I do have hardware cloth along the entire top and every other surface. All seams covered with nailed in trip board. Between an overhang at the chicken door, the coop itself and a few trees I left along the side of run, there are areas with plenty of shade. It's FINALLY starting to get a little cooler here too.

 

[Love my chickens 25]

Not an option. A) No rooster. B) I'm at at 100% capacity

Alright sorry I don’t have any other ideas unless you have a friend who has chicks your hen can raise but I like some of the others ideas to.

 

[Love my chickens 25]

Not an option. A) No rooster. B) I'm at 100% capacity.





So far so good on predators. No roof per se, but I do have hardware cloth along the entire top and every other surface. All seams covered with nailed in trip board. Between an overhang at the chicken door, the coop itself and a few trees I left along the side of run, there are areas with plenty of shade. It's FINALLY starting to get a little cooler here too.

View attachment 2372838View attachment 2372839View attachment 2372840View attachment 2372841View attachment 2372842

That’s a beautiful coop too

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you're planning to cage her to break her, the cage really can go anywhere you feel is safe, as long as it's still in view of the rest of the flock, whether that be in the coop or run. I usually just plop my breaker (I've used a dog exercise pen and my brooder to break broodies) in the middle of the run somewhere, so the broody is in full view of the others.

 

[aart]

Here's visual for ya:
Mine fits in the coop, just, but during hot summers I've had to move it around outside to keep it in the shade during the day.

 

[Panhandler80]

She went in Sat am. Plan to release Tues am.

 

[Panhandler80]

This time tomorrow she'll be free! Will keep the hardware cloth zip tied to the crate for next time.

 

[Panhandler80]

Well, I let her out of the crate this morning. Last I checked before leaving for work, she was out and about with the rest of flock.

On to my next issue... late yesterday PM there was an EE in a box when I went to collect eggs. I removed her because typically they are finished laying by then. I went inside and then went back out after dark to check. After dark, she was back in a box. I put her on a roosting bar and then I hung it up for the night. This morning there was an EE already in a box... I think the same one. I went to remove her and she jumped out of the box immediately. Thinking maybe that was a different one. This morning, I also found a soft egg in the coop that had been ruptured. I'm wondering if this might have been from that late sitter last night.

Just kind of odd. I've been essentially trouble free since mid August, and now two months in having an issue here and there. May just see if it all works itself out.