Broody hen question.

[crc310]

I've been reading about breaking a broody hen. I adopted her after she went broody and the original owner didn't want to deal with her after she hatched a few eggs. I got her 14 months ago, she is ~ 2.5 yrs old and went broody again today. I plan on doing the wire cage method I she continues tomorrow. My question is, do I place a roost in yet or does she sit on the wire cage? How big should the cage be? I have a few different kinds of cages lying around. Thank you!

 

[Kelsie2290]

I like to put roosts in because the wire is usually spaced wide enough that they can't stand/sit on it comfortably (most dog crates seem to be around 1x4" spacing). The ones I use are about 2x3' for standard hens, not sure it makes much difference as long as the hen has plenty of room. For food and water I like to use small bowls I hang from the sides since some hens will sit in bowls on the floor.

 

[crc310]

Thank you!

 

[crc310]

Busy day today, didn't have time to deal with her... I got back home a few hours ago and took her off the eggs. I closed the doors on the coop. My chickens don't use it anyway. They sleep ontop the coop or on the perches in the pen surrounding the coop (fully predator proofed and tarpped). She walked around the yard grumbling and pecking at the others when they got close (they free range on our 2 acres and neighbors 2 acres with her chickens). They all went in the pen. She was perched on a roost in the pen along with the others so I locked them up for the night. I'll let them back out in the early morning, and cage her then if she goes back in the coop to sit.

 

[crc310]

Didn't have a cage big enough for her so I constructed one!