Broody Hen

[aart]

Well after the 3rd day no eggs from her I finished off (well not finished but functional) the chicken jail/broody buster in the coop. She is in there now and stressed out
The thing is my usually stand offish blue amerauncana is super sweet in her hormonal state! I fell terrible that she is stressed out but will hold firm. The plan is this afternoon at the 24 hour mark to let her out and let the flock out in the chicken yard and see what happens. If she goes back in the nest box and fluffs up then it's back to jail.

GaryView attachment 1237779

Sounds/looks good.
Was she also staying in nest 22 out of 24 hours a day?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Why play around with breaking her? Keep her in the cage for three days and be done with it. Just ensure she's not dumped her water and has feed. Three days and done. No need to limp it along and stretch it out. Don't give her a chance to slip back into brooding. They will act normal after a day and sometimes that's enough but 90% of the time no, no it is not. Just go three days and it's nipped, completely out of the hens mind and hormones 99% of the time.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Sounds/looks good.
Was she also staying in nest 22 out of 24 hours a day?

Well she tried to stay in nest 22/24 hours a day I had been taking her out at night and putting on the roost, and taking her out as often as I found her in the nest box which was constant. I just went down there and she was squaking up a storm and had knocked her water over I refilled that and positioned it better. If she keeps it up I will put in a rubber bowl, right now she has the mason jar waterer I used when they were little. I am hoping she gets past this soon, the last few days the egg production for the entire flock dropped in half I hope broody is not contagious! I have 5 chicks coming the first week of April I am hoping she gets broody about that time but we shall see. I need to put proper doors on the chicken jail, if by some miracle she decides to be broody before the chicks come I will make that area all snuggly for her and set the fake eggs in there until the chicks come. Ya, wishful thinking!

Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Why play around with breaking her? Keep her in the cage for three days and be done with it. Just ensure she's not dumped her water and has feed. Three days and done. No need to limp it along and stretch it out. Don't give her a chance to slip back into brooding. They will act normal after a day and sometimes that's enough but 90% of the time no, no it is not. Just go three days and it's nipped, completely out of the hens mind and hormones 99% of the time.

Don't let her out even to poop?

Gary

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Really? If she's broody she'll only poop once a day. Three days of poop is not a lot, most should fall through wire bottom once she's done with the brood poop. And that initial large turd can be scooped out easily enough. Keep her in there and be done with it. Easiest on the bird and you to bust her fast and completely.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Really? If she's broody she'll only poop once a day. Three days of poop is not a lot, most should fall through wire bottom once she's done with the brood poop. And that initial large turd can be scooped out easily enough. Keep her in there and be done with it. Easiest on the bird and you to bust her fast and completely.

Seems logical, she is on 1/2" HW cloth so likely it will not fall through but oh well. Fluffy is doing hard time now.

Gary

 

[CJP]

View attachment 1237779

Good grief.....I feel your pain

 

[Table4Six]

What breed is your hen?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

What breed is your hen?

Mine? Blue Americauna.
She's on day two of hard time
I will let her out tomorrow, I've kept the flock locked in the coop as well they will all be happy to be sprung. 24 hours to go

Gary

 

[Table4Six]

That's interesting. I never thought americanas were very broody hens. I have one hen and she's nearing five years old and has never gone broody.