Broody hen

[Freie Family Farm]

So apparently our over a year old black and whit cochin hen is broody. We do not have a rooster so eggs won't hatch anyways. She has taken a liking to our ceramic eggs and has decided both are hers. She also lays on the other chickens eggs after they layed them. Is is ok to let her continue or do i have to remove the ceramic eggs? Usually I move one and she gives up and leaves. What should I do?

 

[MarkJr]

So apparently our over a year old black and whit cochin hen is broody. We do not have a rooster so eggs won't hatch anyways. She has taken a liking to our ceramic eggs and has decided both are hers. She also lays on the other chickens eggs after they layed them. Is is ok to let her continue or do i have to remove the ceramic eggs? Usually I move one and she gives up and leaves. What should I do?

If you don’t want her to raise chicks, break her.
Wire cage raised off the floor a few inches. Piece of 2x for a comfortable roost spot. Food and water. Set whole thing somewhere among the flock that is predator safe. After 24 hours, release her at roost time. If she runs back for the nest, cage her and try again tomorrow.

 

[Freie Family Farm]

We want to but we currently can't. Im hoping to convince my husband to let me get a rooster next year if we do a rooster collar so he isnt as loud. Shell be perfect to hatch our duck eggs once they actually start laying them.

 

[MarkJr]

We want to but we currently can't. Im hoping to convince my husband to let me get a rooster next year if we do a rooster collar so he isnt as loud. Shell be perfect to hatch our duck eggs once they actually start laying them.

You can let her set for a week or two and introduce chicks under her if you can find them. This is my chosen method for my broody.

 

[aart]

Agrees....If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.