Broody Hen

[Tootie123]

Have a hen that is broody, won't get off the nest. Sits on as many eggs
as she can gather. Have no roosters in my hen house so no way of her
hatching any eggs...sooo...what to do. Will she stop on her own? Don't
know if she is eating or not. Every time I see her she is sitting on a nest.
Try to move her and she ruffles her feathers and pecks at you. Have ten
hens, no roosters. They lay anywhere from 7-10 eggs a day. Sooo...she
has eggs to sit on but no hatching. Will she give it up eventually?

 

[Judy]

Usually they leave the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink, and poop, and they often do this when no one is looking. If you don't see a bunch of poop in the nest, she is probably getting up. Yes, she will eventually give up, but how long this will take depends a lot on the individual. The simplest solution is to get some fertile eggs, separate her til they hatch,and let her hatch and raise them. Or, put a couple of day old chicks under her at night after dark, after removing the eggs, and let her raise those. There are several other methods of breaking a broody, though none is sure fire.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181289/how-to-break-a-broody-hen/0_20

 

[Tootie123]

Thanks,,,, will try some of the ideas I have found on this website.
As long as she is getting food and water. No poop in nest so she
must be getting up.....
Really don't have room for anymore chickens so not a matter of
letting her hatch fertilized eggs and raising them, not an option.
Appreciate the advice.

 

[Tootie123]

Have used the idea of isolating this hen and it worked.
Put her in a cage by herself without any bedding material
just food and water for a couple of days.....then she was
fine. Went about her normal routine after that.
Thanks for the help......