Broody Hen

[CJP]

Hi everyone I’m from Australia and was looking for suggestions with my broody hen.

Scully is 14 months old and has been broody 5 times. I tried closing nesting box but that stressed my other 4 hens and my egg production dropped from 130 to 88 in the month. I have been “jailing” her usually lasting a week the last 3 times but she gets clucky again within 10 days. During this time she is still laying.

I worry about the long term effects of this on her body. I go out several times a day to check if the others have all laid so I can close off nesting boxes and let her out but this usually doesn’t happen till about 4 in the afternoon. So for now she is in jail just as much as she is free.

Any suggestions on how to break this vicious cycle would be appreciated.

 

[featheredplanets]

After all that...I’d give her what she wants and let her brood. I’ve never had the heart to break a broody hen. Others may disagree with me though, depends on what you want from your flock

 

[i like emus]

Mabey let her have baby chicks then just sell them make more money

 

[CJP]

Unfortunately that’s not an option I don’t really need any more hens or roosters and being rural most homes have their own and I wouldn’t be able to sell and wouldn’t have the heart to cull them. Thanks anyway

 

[red horse ranch]

I had a hen that was broody more often than not. She would lay 2 or 3 eggs and then go broody again. I just got tired of trying to break her so I gave her to a friend who really wanted a brood hen. Then hen has hatched a lot of chicks for her in the last few years and she rarely needs her incubator any more. Worked out good for both of us!

 

[CJP]

I had a hen that was broody more often than not. She would lay 2 or 3 eggs and then go broody again. I just got tired of trying to break her so I gave her to a friend who really wanted a brood hen. Then hen has hatched a lot of chicks for her in the last few years and she rarely needs her incubator any more. Worked out good for both of us!

 

[CJP]

Thanks that’s my last option..if someone would take her. At his stage I’m hoping suggestions on here might help me break her

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Why do you think she is broody if she is laying eggs?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Most will say to put her in a small cage. I've never done that, and have broken broody hens by removing them from the nest anytime I'm at the coop and taking them off so that they have to walk back. Not very efficient, but it eventually worked. This year I plan to simply block off the nests at night so that they will have to roost then.

 

[CJP]

Why do you think she is broody if she is laying eggs?