Broody hen sitting on another hen

[Isabelstu]

2 of my hens have been broody for the longest time, this morning I decided that I’ve had enough and I am going to break the broods. I set them up in a dry quarantine coop with food and water. But then when I check in them 1 hour later I saw my bigger hen (cream leg bar) sitting ontop of my smaller pekin and protecting her like a baby. Anyways if anyone has any suggestions on how I can break their broods and hopefully tell me I’m not the only one who’s experienced this!

 

[aart]

Anyways if anyone has any suggestions on how I can break their broods

Put them in separate wire bottomed breaker crates.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Aww! That's so sweet. I love this!

I let my broodies hatch eggs this year. Hoping they'll be better broodies next year.

 

[Isabelstu]

Aww! That's so sweet. I love this!

I let my broodies hatch eggs this year. Hoping they'll be better broodies next year.

I got them some beautiful day olds but they were completely uninterested seem to only want babies if they hatch then themself

 

[azygous]

That is so funny! And the eyes in the Legbar are fierce. This proves how broodies will sit on anything.

Simply penning them separately isn't enough. As @aart mentioned, you need a cage with an open mesh bottom to keep cooling air circulating under the broodies. If you don't do this, the elevated body temperature of the broody keeps the broody hormones active. Merely allowing a broody to roost at night will perpetuated the broody hormones.

The cage is really the only way you can break a broody. It takes about three days. The hens must remain in the cage during the night, too. Give them food and water in the cage. These two should be able to share the cage unless the Legbar continues to insist on using the bantam as a "nest". In that case she would need her own cage.