Broody Hen Help!

[BeccaSmith]

Hi! I have a broody hen (she is 27 weeks of age), we just discovered her nest site, under a tarp next to our firewood pile. We have removed her from the nest and picked up all the eggs, some were broken and there were maggots feeding on them. I didn't see any maggots on our hen, but at the time I hadn't discovered her nest, she was taking a quick break when I looked her over. Anyways, we removed the eggs and cleaned the mess up and made it so she cannot get back to that same spot to nest in. Will that be sufficient to break her broodiness or will she just find another spot? The eggs are unfertilized as we have no rooster so there is really no point in her sitting on eggs.

 

[CarolynF]

Hi,
It sounds like she might be the determined type. If so, just moving her won't stop her, she'll seek out another spot. Some people just wait it out, others try to break the streak. I've read quite a few posts explaining that the hen's body temp. is high when they're broody so they attempt to lower it in a couple of ways. One popular method is to keep them isolated in a wire bottom cage that's up off the ground, allowing cool air to their belly. Another is to hold them in a cool water bath for maybe 15-30 min. at a time. Some people will do that multiple times during the day and/or for multiple days in a row until she decides enough is enough. If it's hot in your area she might really enjoy that!

You might also want to see in anyone in your area is looking for a broody hen to hatch some eggs for them. That might be kind of fun. I've seen posts here on BYC and also on Craigs List seeking broodies.

Good luck.

 

[BeccaSmith]

Perhaps I should just let her finish it out, I like the idea of the ad on Craigs List! But the nest site is gone now, and it had maggots in it...yuck! She was out wondering around very nervously so I brought her indoors until the auto coop door closes for the night and then I will put her out with the rest of the chickens for the evening. I wish I could just make a temp area for her to finish nesting in! I don't think the multiple baths will really be an option and I don't have any wire cages.

 

[HEChicken]

For what its worth, before I moved to the country where I can keep roosters, any time I had a broody, I placed a CL ad asking for fertile eggs and found some immediately every time. Never had a bad experience, and even now have some hens who were hatched by broodies from those eggs.

Now that I'm in the country and have a roo, all my eggs are fertile. Now if one of my hens would just go broody dangit!

 

[donrae]

For what its worth, before I moved to the country where I can keep roosters, any time I had a broody, I placed a CL ad asking for fertile eggs and found some immediately every time. Never had a bad experience, and even now have some hens who were hatched by broodies from those eggs.

Now that I'm in the country and have a roo, all my eggs are fertile. Now if one of my hens would just go broody dangit!

I've given eggs to folks with broodies who wanted to let them hatch chicks. Usually I'd just ask for half the birds back and it worked out well.

You'll just have to watch her and see if she tries to go back to the nest. If she can't even get to the area she probably won't, but she may try to pick another spot. Someone one here had a pic of a hen brooding a pile of metal screws and bolts---hopefully she's not THAT determined!

 

[CarolynF]

Someone one here had a pic of a hen brooding a pile of metal screws and bolts---hopefully she's not THAT determined!

 

[BeccaSmith]

Thankfully she wasn't to determined, she seemed to snap right out of it! We got lucky!

 

[CarolJ]

IN my experience, once you break a broody hen, she will go broody again soon - maybe a few weeks or a few months. So you might want to go ahead now and plan for that next time. You can get fertile eggs via Craigslist - or from someone from BYC that lives near you - or you can order them from eBay or other online sources. If you don't want lots of chicks, you can put just 3 or 4 eggs under her. My last broody did all her brooding in the main coop. I marked the eggs I wanted her to brood - and each evening I looked under her and removed any unmarked eggs. Seems the other hens liked to climb into the same nest box to lay their eggs. She hatched the chicks right there - and on day two they all managed to get down the few feet to the floor - and they're all thriving now.

Soon after we had our first broody hen, my husband and I were sitting in the yard watching "chicken TV" and my husband remarked - while pointing to the broody walking around the yard with her chicks following behind her, "THAT is the best thing you've done since you got chickens!" It is an amazing and inspiring thing to see.

Good luck with your broody. She may not ever go broody again - or she may do it again soon. Owning chickens is certainly an always changing endeavor!