Broody hen

[Mamatomany123]

I'm pretty sure shes broken. She slept on the roost last night right and was out in the run this morning.

 

[Mamatomany123]

She went back to the nesting box tonight. I'm about to lose my mind. No hissing or puffing tough so I just pushed her out and blocked them off.

 

[artsvarc]

Sounds so familiar. My most violent broody ever was a Golden-laced Wyandotte named Irene. When she was normal and not hormonal, she hated my guts and would bite me if I tried to reach for the eggs in the nest. But when she went broody, oh lordy, that hen had the explosive potential of a nuclear bomb. She was the only broody hen that ever managed to break out of her broody cage, literally taking it apart. Our defense department could have used her as a secret weapon.

She was the only chicken I didn't grieve over when she finally died of old age.

Having my first broody Golden Laced Wyandotte right now. The crate is currently occupied by her sister so I kept her in the run today. Every time I went in to check on her, she'd literally nip my ankles!

 

[Youngestof6]

So, I finally have a hen who decided to be broody and try to hatch golf balls. Checked the nesting box before bed and she was in there screaming at me. Not a huge sign because she always screams at me when shes in there but she has never laid this late. So I put her on the roost. She walked around for about 5 minutes then made her way back to the box. I left her there for 30 minutes seeing if maybe she did need to lay. Nothing but screams and puffiness. So into chicken jail she went. Shes now in a wire dog crate lifted on some bricks, bottom is open and is super unhappy about that. How long do I leave her there before attempting to let her out. 1 day? 2? I wish she would have done this a month ago instead. I could have slipped the unexpected new chicks under her. I'm actually wondering if these new chicks are what is causing the "broodiness".

Three days is the trick for me. Just like weaning a baby off the bottle....3 days

 

[Mamatomany123]

Guess who's broody again??! She wasn't yesterday but today I saw her watch a hen lay an egg then jump on it. She also has already plucked her breast clean. This is going to be fun. She hasn't even started laying again since her last broody moment

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

LOL i was actually thinking of you, your broody and your hilarious thread this past weekend. Was thinking to warn you to expect her to go broody again any time now. (And i predict you can expect her to do so a third time by mid-summer.) I have 2 that just went back to broody jail last night for the 2nd time this year. Its only been about 4 weeks since those 2 came out. I released 9 from jail last night and put 6 more in. That makes 28 and counting so far this year. (Including the repeats). I simply throw em in jail for a week. After a week with no nestboxes and no eggs, the hormones are gone. Since your broody was so hard to break last time, expect she will be this time too. Good luck with round 2!

 

[Mamatomany123]

LOL i was actually thinking of you, your broody and your hilarious thread this past weekend. Was thinking to warn you to expect her to go broody again any time now. (And i predict you can expect her to do so a third time by mid-summer.) I have 2 that just went back to broody jail last night for the 2nd time this year. Its only been about 4 weeks since those 2 came out. I released 9 from jail last night and put 6 more in. That makes 28 and counting so far this year. (Including the repeats). I simply throw em in jail for a week. After a week with no nestboxes and no eggs, the hormones are gone. Since your broody was so hard to break last time, expect she will be this time too. Good luck with round 2!

She bit me this time. She was sitting on a few eggs so I grabbed them and pushed her out, hoping that she had just laid and was just hanging around. Went back out and saw her jump in someone else's egg. Picked her up,got bit, then felt her nakedness

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

She bit me this time. She was sitting on a few eggs so I grabbed them and pushed her out, hoping that she had just laid and was just hanging around. Went back out and saw her jump in someone else's egg. Picked her up,got bit, then felt her nakedness

I used to let ALL my broodys hatch chicks, including the mean ones. After waaay too many broodies hatched way too many chicks, will never again let the mean ones (mean to me) be mama hens. If u DO want broody-raised chicks, either now or eventually, and she is your only option, she will im sure be a good mama hen. But not nearly as enjoyable as if a broody likes and trusts you with her chicks. I gradually realized the sweet broodies that liked me taught their chicks to trust me too. The broodys that attacked me with a vengeance equal to the meanest roosters taught their chicks i was to be avoided. For people who dont spend a lot of time with their birds, that is ok. But me, i prefer the "puppy-dog" girls that follow me everywhere and are always underfoot.

What are you gonna do this time? Break her round 2, let her hatch, or slip her some chicks?

 

[Mamatomany123]

I used to let ALL my broodys hatch chicks, including the mean ones. After waaay too many broodies hatched way too many chicks, will never again let the mean ones (mean to me) be mama hens. If u DO want broody-raised chicks, either now or eventually, and she is your only option, she will im sure be a good mama hen. But not nearly as enjoyable as if a broody likes and trusts you with her chicks. I gradually realized the sweet broodies that liked me taught their chicks to trust me too. The broodys that attacked me with a vengeance equal to the meanest roosters taught their chicks i was to be avoided. For people who dont spend a lot of time with their birds, that is ok. But me, i prefer the "puppy-dog" girls that follow me everywhere and are always underfoot.

What are you gonna do this time? Break her round 2, let her hatch, or slip her some chicks?

We have to break any broodies. I don't have a rooster and unfortunately got MG infected chicks around 6 months ago who then infected all of my girl. We also are way over our limit. Only allowed to have 4 and are currently at 18

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am very sorry to hear about the MG. And yes sounds like you have plenty enough hens to hide already. So only one thing left to do now. Go break that broody!