Broody Hens and what to do?

[aart]

So I bit the bullet and put my Buff in a Broody cage all day yesterday, however I couldn't have guarantee'd she would have been safe in the run all night in a crate, so I blocked up the nest boxes in the coop last thing and put her in there on the perches with the rest.

I let them all out this morning and she ran out like a normal chicken! however I wasn't risking it and have put her back in the crate again and will do the same tomorrow, but so far i am very pleased with the turn around this morning . And she didnt try to attack me, Yay!

Good Job!
One good test is to let them out close to roosting time,
see if they head back to the nest or go to roost with the others.

 

[Auntbee7]

I'm trying this right now with a broody hen. Will her feet be ok with the wire cage being elevated? She seems perched ok, just a bit awkwardly. I don't want to cause any injuries while she's in "chicken jail"

I'm doing the same thing with one of my chickens (going on almost 2 weeks now!). We're using a dog crate but I noticed the bottom of the cage had larger gaps in the wire than the top. I just turned it upside down!

 

[silkieRaiser]

Its not mean. Its just guilt. I keep mine in the coop so the flock doesn't "forget" about them, and I was able to break my broody. I used my old brooder because it was pretty big. If you don't want to do that, you should give her eggs.

 

[mimoo1234]

On day three and she's doing really well! Not clucking all day like yesterday and the day before. Big test will be tomorrow when I leave her to do as she pleases. Rhode Rocks turn next

 

[lilmillefleur]

thanks for all the advice everyone. It's going to help me a lot too!

 

[Juliefill]

This is exactly what i am going through. My hen just started brooding 3 days ago and I Thought she was hurt or sick. I almost believe our awful weather this spring caused it(!)... Not alot of sun... Exactly why does the "cage" isolation work? And why the wire? Do u let them out at any time to socialize? Any encouragement is appreciated as i just hate the thought of secluding her so drastically.

 

[aart]

.. Exactly why does the "cage" isolation work? And why the wire? Do u let them out at any time to socialize? Any encouragement is appreciated as i just hate the thought of secluding her so drastically.

It keeps them from nestling down into any bedding and 'heating up', the mesh raised off the floor allows for air flow to 'cool them off'. Some folks use fans blowing under cage if it's hot out. They won't be happy being confined, but will get used to it pretty quickly. Just walk away and don't let them 'guilt trip' you, it's better for them in the long run to break them if you do't want them to hatch a batch of chicks.

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 couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) 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.

Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[Juliefill]

It keeps them from nestling down into any bedding and 'heating up', the mesh raised off the floor allows for air flow to 'cool them off'. Some folks use fans blowing under cage if it's hot out. They won't be happy being confined, but will get used to it pretty quickly. Just walk away and don't let them 'guilt trip' you, it's better for them in the long run to break them if you do't want them to hatch a batch of chicks.

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 couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) 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.

Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

Thank you so much! I have soooo much to learn...