Broody hen trouble

Lori J

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Hi everyone! Help, I have two leg horns and a barred hen, about 2 yrs. One of my white leghorns has gone broody! I've tried keeping her out of the nest box for a couple of days but it hasn't worked yet. She simply walks around all puffed up making what I've dubbed "disgruntled broody hen sounds" and rushes back to the nest box once freed to sit on "invisible" eggs. I have read about keeping broody hens in a wire-bottomed cage, etc, but the advice I'm looking for is different. Since she is so stubbornly broody, is it possible to obtain fertilized eggs for her to hatch? Our neighborhood doesn't allow roosters. But I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with this sort of thing.

Also, as an aside. My other two hens want to use the same nest box that the broody hen is using. They are stubborn about this and don't want to use the other, even if the ceramic eggs are there. I've found them in there pecking at her. Any helpful advice for correcting this behavior is welcome too!
 
The wired bottom crate is the only sure way to break her.

You can try getting fertilized eggs. Not every hen will stay on those eggs or will be a good mom once those eggs hatch. Another thing to think about is half those chicks will be roosters. Sometimes it works out wonderfully and sometimes it's a mess when hatching eggs. I personally find it the most stressful 3 weeks of the season, and I always seem to get more roosters than hens.

Be aware your hen will probably go broody again, as many that go broody will be repeat offenders.
 
The wired bottom crate is the only sure way to break her.

You can try getting fertilized eggs. Not every hen will stay on those eggs or will be a good mom once those eggs hatch. Another thing to think about is half those chicks will be roosters. Sometimes it works out wonderfully and sometimes it's a mess when hatching eggs. I personally find it the most stressful 3 weeks of the season, and I always seem to get more roosters than hens.

Be aware your hen will probably go broody again, as many that go broody will be repeat offenders.


Yes, this hen has gone broody before, but it was very easy to 'cure' her the first time. I was thinking of transplanting most of the chicks to a local camp once hatched (which is also where I thought I might get the fertilized eggs), but I'd not thought of the roosters. I think they have enough already. :) So, yes, maybe my scheme might not be the best.

Any tips on hens that want to fight over a single nesting box, even when not broody?
 
Yes, this hen has gone broody before, but it was very easy to 'cure' her the first time. I was thinking of transplanting most of the chicks to a local camp once hatched (which is also where I thought I might get the fertilized eggs), but I'd not thought of the roosters. I think they have enough already. :) So, yes, maybe my scheme might not be the best.

Any tips on hens that want to fight over a single nesting box, even when not broody?
Do you keep fake eggs in the boxes? Hens like to lay where someone else already did. My birds will only lay in the boxes with the fake eggs if I'm using them.
 

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