Broody Hen

[Froghorn]

I am new at this so it is the first time I have experienced a broody hen. What can I do? I keep kicking her out of the nest. She runs outside for a while, dusts herself, uses a little pms on the others and then returns to the box within the hour. Will she come out of it or is there something I can do to speed it up?

 

[tallyho]

I have an australorp who drives me crazy with this. When she goes broody, I take her out of her nest box and put her in an open wire dog crate in the yard with food and water. No litter, nothing. I make her us un-cozy as possible. At night we remove her from the crate and place her in the coop on a roost bar, not in the nest box. After 3 days of this she's broken and back to the egg laying job. However, she went broody for the 5th time this summer and she finally broke me

. I gave up and stuck some eggs under her. She was so happy!

 

[pgpoultry]

Do like Tallyho says and place her in a wire crate (dog crate etc) if you want to break her.
Didn't work on my most broody of Brahma hens and I'm just waiting for some postal eggs for her as I have given up before her,
Sandie

 

[nazu]

I recently experienced my first broody hen. I consistently took her out of the nest box, put her out with the others, and took her eggs; after several days of this, she gave up. At this point, she had gotten into the habit of sleeping in the nest box, an old bread box, with the cover removed. I reattached the cover and started closing it up at night.

 

[pgpoultry]

Nazu you have never experienced REALLY broody....my Gold Brahma hen has only laid about 20 eggs in all her life....went broody just as she started to lay aged 6 months and has been broody most of the time since. This will be her fourth time broody in 15 months. She just gets down wherever (usually outside in some little corner) and stays ...on eggs, bricks, even soil....and willnot stop. You can put her in a cage, in the garage, isolate her etc. and she will go back broody until she gets her way.

She is going to be a very prolific mum if she continues like this for the 10 years or so that Brahmas live.

Sandie

 

[nazu]

Quote:
Wow! Sandy, you're right, I haven't experienced that, and don't wish to at this point. Maybe if I had a large flock or was looking to breed them, but..I only have 3 hens with only 2 laying right now, so I want the eggs.

 

[beachchickie]

Dip her in cool water until her under belly is wet. This works for me every time. You have to cool the under belly. You may have to do it twice. Keep pushing her off the nest. I like you have no rooster and have no intention of raising chicks.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:

How many chicks did she hatch? My 2-1/2 year old BA has never gone broody... hope it stays that way!

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Our silkie loves to go broody from time to time. I tried putting ice under her, moving her out of the nest, and putting her in a wire cage (which she hated).
Then I let her hatch out and raise three roosters. Now she wants NO MORE BABIES!!! She still goes broody, but not for as long. She doesn't want to have to go through THAT again!
Problem solved.

 

[Froghorn]

Quote:
I am about to give up on the wire cage. I have tried that for the second time. It's been a week now. I will try the cold water on the bottom. I think she is breaking me.