Broody hen

[Painted Calls]

Well she spent all day running around the run scratching, eating, laying around. Caught her sitting in the nest box as they piled in for bed back to the crate she went.

 

[Mamatomany123]

She even had the audacity to look at me like I'm crazy while I was picking her up. Like excuse me ma'am, you're sitting on 2 golf balls. We both know who the crazy one is, and it's not me.

 

[azygous]

Broodies are so sneaky.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Broodies are so sneaky.

I'm a little shocked but not too much. She didnt once try to go into the nesting box, or the coop for that matter. But she was doing that broody cluck all day. Guess shes staying in there for another day. I may let her out tomorrow but I'm unsure right now.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Ok guys, shes still going to the nesting box at night. We are on night 4! She spends all day in the run. I check multiple times a day and dont ever catch her in the box. Why is she still going to the box at night!?!? Am I doing something wrong? Shes in a wire.dog crate lifted off of the coop floor. Plenty of air flow. She wont roost on the piece of wood I put in there and is just sitting in the crate like she does the nest. I'm about to give in and let her sit then buy some chicks but 1. Shes not sitting all day so I dont even think shes fully broody and 2. My chickens got sick a while ago eith a possible respiratory infection. The new chicks we've had for 3 weeks have shown no symptoms despite being in the run with them but I probably shouldnt chance it but dang, shes driving me crazy!! I thought we would be done by now. Should I just leave her in the crate all day and night for a few days?? Help meeeee

 

[Painted Calls]

Ok guys, shes still going to the nesting box at night. We are on night 4! She spends all day in the run. I check multiple times a day and dont ever catch her in the box. Why is she still going to the box at night!?!? Am I doing something wrong? Shes in a wire.dog crate lifted off of the coop floor. Plenty of air flow. She wont roost on the piece of wood I put in there and is just sitting in the crate like she does the nest. I'm about to give in and let her sit then buy some chicks but 1. Shes not sitting all day so I dont even think shes fully broody and 2. My chickens got sick a while ago eith a possible respiratory infection. The new chicks we've had for 3 weeks have shown no symptoms despite being in the run with them but I probably shouldnt chance it but dang, shes driving me crazy!! I thought we would be done by now. Should I just leave her in the crate all day and night for a few days?? Help meeeee

Some of mine take weeks. I'd leave her in her cell for 2 days, with one hour for rec each day. Then try again.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Some of mine take weeks. I'd leave her in her cell for 2 days, with one hour for rec each day. Then try again.

All right. I will do this. It's been so nice the past 2 days and she seemed to enjoys the cool weather but shes being a butthead. Shes no longer making that clucking noise so I had hopes that she was done. Little tease she is

 

[azygous]

Is she at any point able to rest on a solid surface during the day or night? Even a perch can reflect body heat back to her, prolonging the broody hormones.

I've found out the hard way that left alone in the run, a broody will hunker down in a pit or sit on a perch both of which can reflect body heat back at her.

Unless she's in the cage with an open mesh bottom around the clock, day and night, she will take forever to break.

Put her in the cage and leave her all night as well as all day. It shouldn't take more than three days to break a broody this way.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Is she at any point able to rest on a solid surface during the day or night? Even a perch can reflect body heat back to her, prolonging the broody hormones.

I've found out the hard way that left alone in the run, a broody will hunker down in a pit or sit on a perch both of which can reflect body heat back at her.

Unless she's in the cage with an open mesh bottom around the clock, day and night, she will take forever to break.

Put her in the cage and leave her all night as well as all day. It shouldn't take more than three days to break a broody this way.

I just put the perch in today. I'll take it out in the morning. I guess yes, she could possibly be hunkering down in the run. Every time I've checked on them she was running around but maybe she just ran to the door because the others did. The cage is a mesh bottom, I took out the little tray to keep it open and have it lifted on some bricks. I did have to move the bricks all the way to the edge because she was trying to sit on those. I'll leave her for a few days instead of letting her in the run. Hopefully it works better.

 

[aart]

Why is she still going to the box at night!?!?

Block the nests an hour before roosting time, then open when you lock up after dark.
She may have lost status being broody, not sure how much roost space you have.

She wont roost on the piece of wood I put in there and is just sitting in the crate like she does the nest.

Show us your broody breaker......is the bottom of crate mesh and raised off the ground?
It probably is but I often CRS.