Broody Hen

[dr1939]

How long does a chicken stay broody if you don't have a special pen to put them in till they get over being broody? Is there any other method you can use besides just keep putting them out of the nest when you don't have a special broody pen to put them in?

thanks

 

[Judy]

The purpose of a brody pen is a place for her to set on her eggs and hatch them in peace, without being disturbed by the flock. If you don't want her to be broody, probably the best "cure" is to put her in something like a wire dog cage without nesting material for a feew days, til she gets restless or lays an egg. Pro the cage up on blocks so there is air circulating under her. The cool air on the belly is what discorages broodiness.

For more on discouraging or using broodies:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

 

[aart]

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a few bricks right in the coop and I would feed her some watered down crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.