Broody hen questions

[mdoerge]

I have a Golden Buff who has been broody (although I was told they don't go broody!) and sitting on the nest for over three weeks. We don't have a rooster. At first she was in the community nesting box and the other hens would climb in with her and lay their eggs. She would sit on all their eggs until I collected them that day. They obviously didn't like this and started laying their eggs in other corners of the coop. I took the broody hen out of the coop and put her in a dog cage with a nesting box, food, and water. She doesn't eat or drink much, but seems very content. I have put her outside with the others to free range the last couple of days, but she comes back in to the nest as soon as she gets the opportunity. How long will she stay broody?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I think they'll stay broody until you either break them of it or they hatch out chicks. Not sure. The only bad thing with being broody is they stop laying.

 

[mdoerge]

How do I break her of it?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I remember reading another thread that said to separate her from the others in a very small cage and I *think* it said to block it off somehow so she can't sit. I'll do a search and see if I can find it.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Well, here's a couple blurbs but not the one I was looking for. Everything seems to say the same thing though - confine them in a cage with food and water. Some say in the dark, some don't, but definitely don't put anything resembling a nest in there with them. Maybe a perch of some sort. I moved a broody to a dog cage so she could set on her eggs without being bothered and she ended up perching on the edge of the box instead and abandoned the nest. They always seem to do the opposite of what you want them to!

Now when mine go broody, I just leave them be and if they hatch, they hatch.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=194736

quoted from another thread:

I have silkies that spend most of their life broody . I put mine in wire bottom cages with food & water for 3-4 days. Sometimes it works & sometimes they have to go back in the cage for another 3-4 days. My mother use to raise laying hens (around 300 of them) years back when she sold eggs. She insists that leaving them in a dark place for a few days with water & nothing else will "reset" their clock. I've never tried this method but she insists it's better then what I do to break them from sitting.

 

[mdoerge]

Thanks. I think I found the thread you were talking about. It seems I'm on the right track with the cage. I just need to remove the nesting box. We'll see how it goes!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Good luck!!! If you can't break her and want some eggs to hatch, just holler!

 

[cmom]

I just got done dealing with a broody. I put her in a cage with a wire bottom for three days and nights with some food and water. When I let her out I think she was just glad to get out and hasn't been in the nest boxes since. She hasn't started laying again yet either.

 

[jjdward]

Quote:
yep.

 

[mdoerge]

Quote:
I'd take you up on that except that we bought four new chicks this summer and don't have room for anymore. She needs to snap out of it!