Broody hen in first laying season and fall???

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes, it has no floor. I made it out of leftovers from my husband's extensive wood collection. You lift it with handles to move it around and plop it down over grass in the yard.

No floor is nice and comfy, won't likely work.

My broody's get let out at the end of the day. If they go to roost, awesome. If not, they go directly back in the broody breaker for the night. (wire bottom dog kennel raised on 4x4's). They get a chance the next morning, while I move the breaker out of the coop for the day. If they return to the nest box, immediately back to the breaker. If they hang out and eat and stuff for a while, cool. But still gotta go back out in an hour or so to make sure they didn't hit the nest box again. If they did, I can assure you she wasn't yet returning to lay as that often takes up to 2 weeks. So back in the breaker.

Oh my girl that was in more than a week finally broke last night... only to be replaced by 2 more hens!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm no expert at breaking broody chickens, this is only my second time to do it. Right now my broody is in her cage under the tree and it's raining. She hates getting wet, and she's looking a bit ticked off. Maybe it's just what she needs to cool her off. Lol!

It might work... I provide rain cover.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Your routing too soon. Next box over IS what my broody's do when they get kicked out by another girl!


Do you mean I moved her out too soon? She changed boxes after I blocked the entrance her favorite box.

No, I thought you were cheering.. thinking because she moved that she was broken. Is that even how you spell rooting/routing?

I just meant that she probably wasn't done brooding yet.

 

[mooseb]

No, I thought you were cheering.. thinking because she moved that she was broken. Is that even how you spell rooting/routing?

I just meant that she probably wasn't done brooding yet.

That makes sense!

 

[dunnmom]

How is miss broody-pants doing today? Did you get your set up figured out?

My girl was still broody today, so she's going overnight in the cage. People are telling me not to let her back in the coop at night. We just put her setup in the garage to keep predators away from her.

I gave her 2 cool baths today, and we gave her a roosting bar in the cage, because she was roosting on the edge of her water tub. I call it progress that she is roosting up above the floor.

 

[mooseb]

How is miss broody-pants doing today? Did you get your set up figured out?

My girl was still broody today, so she's going overnight in the cage. People are telling me not to let her back in the coop at night. We just put her setup in the garage to keep predators away from her.

I gave her 2 cool baths today, and we gave her a roosting bar in the cage, because she was roosting on the edge of her water tub. I call it progress that she is roosting up above the floor.

She isn't happy in the tractor, walks around all mad all day. Her breastbone feathers are growing back a little.

We've blocked off the boxes and let her back in at night with the others but she's sleeping on the floor and not on a roost.

On the bright side we had a record number of eggs from our our other young girls today so at least she didn't ruin them, lol.

 

[dunnmom]

I give up! Lol! My broody is more stubborn than me. I've tortured her for a week. I don't have the stomach to do it anymore. She'll likely be sitting on eggs next week.

 

[Sara Ranch]

*sigh* Sometimes you have to let them have one.

Like my cockerel who sleeps on my back deck. I'd rather have him SAFE in the Roo Barn and he said nope. He wants my social chair as his bed.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I give up! Lol! My broody is more stubborn than me. I've tortured her for a week. I don't have the stomach to do it anymore. She'll likely be sitting on eggs next week.

I am too near ya not to hear ya!!!

I was feeling the same way with my last broody, even called the store to see if they had chicks. But said they were done for the season. So I persisted. She FINALLY broke after I lost track of how many day MORE than a week. I need to keep better track on my calendar. And I'll be.. if I didn't have 2 more hens go broody the same day she broke!

Beginning of this season, I thought I was in LOVE with broody's. Now I just feel like a torture miser. I HATE breaking broody's! But I know I MUST.

 

[cmom]

Thanks everyone. She's most likely laid a few times before. We have three Ameracaunas and have had a steady two blue eggs a day for a couple of weeks.

She flattens out, make a weird guttural squawk and threatens to bite you when you try to take her out. Once out she will sit down for a while.

There are feathers in the box. None of the others seem broody, thankfully. They are just starting to lay in the last month, and our record is for eggs per day, several days, so far.

We blocked her favorite box and removed the bedding. We're going to go out shortly and see if it kept her out.

Belated Most likely she will be broody in another nest box. I have put broody's in a wire cage to break them but now I just make them get out of the nest boxes. They may not like it but I make them get out. Sometimes they peck hard at me and growl but I always win.