Broody hen

[rosemarythyme]

Well, I have figured out one reason why miss broody hates the cage. The 4 11 week olds have decided the top of the cage is perfect roosting space. They crap on her all night.

Chickens are just like children. The younger ones taking advantage when they can and picking on the big ones when they know they're safe.

Awwww! Zip tie some cardboard on top, and that'll stop the pooping issue.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Awwww! Zip tie some cardboard on top, and that'll stop the pooping issue.

I just put the tray that usually goes on the bottom of the cage on top of it. Those girls are going to be the next ones mad at me when I end up removing the crate.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Ok, so morning will make 60 hours in the crate. Shes eating and drinking now. The little broody clucks have stopped. I'm going to let her out in the morning. Wish me luck. Fingers crossed shes done nesting

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

OP, Im sorry for your struggles to break your broody, but your descriptions of her behaviors are hilarious, and had me laughing throughout this thread. i have nothing to add to the stellar advice you have been given, as to the best/proper way to break a broody.

However, I have been forced to take a different approach when breaking broody hens, due to the sheer numbers of broodies. I once thought broody hens were magical and wonderful creatures. Loved watching those mama hens raise their chicks as nature intended. But then the broodies began to literally double the total chicken numbers each year, & the magic became a nightmare. Finally in 2019 I shut 'em ALL down. Because "No girls, ya'll are absolutely NOT hatching 1000 chicks this year. Ms. Chicken Lady is Done." (They hatched 400 chicks in 2018.) I relented in 2020 and let Some broodys hatch chicks, but never again will they All be allowed to. Especially the mean ones. Tiger Turkey and Mean Green Jean, that means you.

I dont put the broodys in raised cages or follow any of the proper rules. I simply remove & separate them into the separate protected pens where they Formerly raised chicks. And leave them there for usually a full week, depending on my schedule. However many broodies i have each week, they all go to broody jail together. The most ever jailed together was 17, during one week in July 2019. Food, water, roosts, dirt to bathe in, they have it all. What they Dont have is cozy nest boxes or Eggs.

It goes on all spring, summer & fall long. Only month ive never had broody hens is December. I dont have the time nor energy to test them and see if they go back to the nest boxes. When the constant pacing and clucking ceases, i know they are ready to be released. Good thing too. Because there will soon be more jailbirds arriving to take their place.

 

[Mamatomany123]

OP, Im sorry for your struggles to break your broody, but your descriptions of her behaviors are hilarious, and had me laughing throughout this thread. i have nothing to add to the stellar advice you have been given, as to the best/proper way to break a broody.

However, I have been forced to take a different approach when breaking broody hens, due to the sheer numbers of broodies. I once thought broody hens were magical and wonderful creatures. Loved watching those mama hens raise their chicks as nature intended. But then the broodies began to literally double the total chicken numbers each year, & the magic became a nightmare. Finally in 2019 I shut 'em ALL down. Because "No girls, ya'll are absolutely NOT hatching 1000 chicks this year. Ms. Chicken Lady is Done." (They hatched 400 chicks in 2018.) I relented in 2020 and let Some broodys hatch chicks, but never again will they All be allowed to. Especially the mean ones. Tiger Turkey and Mean Green Jean, that means you.

I dont put the broodys in raised cages or follow any of the proper rules. I simply remove & separate them into the separate protected pens where they Formerly raised chicks. And leave them there for usually a full week, depending on my schedule. However many broodies i have each week, they all go to broody jail together. The most ever jailed together was 17, during one week in July 2019. Food, water, roosts, dirt to bathe in, they have it all. What they Dont have is cozy nest boxes or Eggs.

It goes on all spring, summer & fall long. Only month ive never had broody hens is December. I dont have the time nor energy to test them and see if they go back to the nest boxes. When the constant pacing and clucking ceases, i know they are ready to be released. Good thing too. Because there will soon be more jailbirds arriving to take their place.

I think she was "sitting"in the run. I let her out and would see her sitting but thought she was just enjoying the day. Then she did that whole puff and scream. I think the new chicks I have is what may have brought this on. Every time I put the babies up at night she starts rushing the cage looking for them but she ruined that whole experience she could have had. I tried to put the babies under her and she grabbed the babies leg and threw it across the coop.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

It would have been highly unusual for her to have accepted those two-week old chicks. Was worth a try and not unheard of (i have a couple who will adopt chicks as old 3 weeks old), but definitely rare. Hopefully 60 hours in jail gets the job done this time. Good luck!

 

[Mamatomany123]

Well, I let her out around 6 tonight. She took a very long distance bath after stretching her wings. I blocked off the nesting boxes just in case. She was on the roost at bedtime. I will say shes being a bit of a bully though. She fought one of the other hens kicking, chasing, and pecking. She was also pecking the others on the roost. It wasnt anything I was too worried about so I'm going to let them work it out themselves as long as it doesnt get bad.

Also, she laid an egg in broody jail. Normal? Was very surprised to find it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well, I let her out around 6 tonight. She took a very long distance bath after stretching her wings. I blocked off the nesting boxes just in case. She was on the roost at bedtime. I will say shes being a bit of a bully though. She fought one of the other hens kicking, chasing, and pecking. She was also pecking the others on the roost. It wasnt anything I was too worried about so I'm going to let them work it out themselves as long as it doesnt get bad.

Broodies are cranky for sure, but as long as things aren't too bad (aka bloody) I'd just let them figure it out.

Also, she laid an egg in broody jail. Normal? Was very surprised to find it.

A bit unusual. They can lay when they first go broody as there may be an egg already in the pipeline, but she should've shut that off by this point.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Broodies are cranky for sure, but as long as things aren't too bad (aka bloody) I'd just let them figure it out.



A bit unusual. They can lay when they first go broody as there may be an egg already in the pipeline, but she should've shut that off by this point.

Yeah, she laid an egg on day 2 of being broody. Today is day 5 or 6 I believe. I was shocked to find it but it had to hers.

 

[Vicker]

Oh the broody hens. Some are harder to break than others. I've never had one fully accept chicks over a day old as their own. I can count on one or two Buff Orps to go broody every spring. When the temps are high, I've cooled down their hot, red bottoms with water. That helped for a while. This year, just blocking them from the nest box at night has worked, so I didn't need to put them in "THE CAGE". Right now, a Black Australorp is broody. I take her out of the box and block it at night. I've never had a chicken peck as hard as she does. She fusses and carries on like nothing I've ever seen.