broody hens that never stop taking nest boxes

[Trevor P O' NEILL]

about half of my folk is broody i will walk in and sometimes see 3 eggs on the ground and all the nest boxes filled with broody hens i keep on taking them out of the boxes but then other broody hens get in it never stops !!

 

[BlackBart]

I put mt broody hens in large dog carriers (kennels) I can lock them in there with food and water and they are safe. If I am at home, I open the door so they can get out a do their business and I can clean up the kennel.
Sometimes I give the eggs to hatch other times they get a golf ball.

 

[Trevor P O' NEILL]

Quote:
thanks for the advice

can chicks hatch good in the dog carrier ?

 

[nuttyredhead]

Are you tryingh to hatch or trying to break them of being broody?

 

[BlackBart]

Yup. I usually leave them in locked in there for a week or so. I use the big dog kennels, Lab size.

After a week I put the kennel in a fenced off pen area with wire holes small enough so a chick can't escape. I let them out in the morning to roam. At night they go back in the kennel and I lock them in.
The wire pen is near the house so the dogs guard it at night against Raccoons. We don't have big snakes, so thats not a problem so i am not sure what you would do if you had snake problems.

If it raining a lot, I put a piece of plywood over the top of the kennel (with a weight on it) because the kennels tend to let water in.

When the chicks get older and want to roost I slide sticks thru the slates in the kennel sides and secure them.

When the mother Hen has had enough and leaves them. I put the kennel in the large coop pen. Do the same routine for awhile until the young ones decide the coop house is a better place to sleep.

Been doing it this way for years without any problems.

 

[Trevor P O' NEILL]

i am trying to break some of them and one i am trying to get her to hatch a bunch

by thanks everyone for your advice it's really helpful

 

[Trevor P O' NEILL]

Quote:
thanks this is my 2 year that i have had chickens i try to sell the eggs to pay for them but some of my hens are getting
to old to lay by the way thanks for all of your advice i only know the basics i am trying to learn more . i will try it this year

 

[nuttyredhead]

Trevor P O' NEILL :

i am trying to break some of them and one i am trying to get her to hatch a bunch

by thanks everyone for your advice it's really helpful

I have 2 that i am trying to break also. I used a medium dog crate (i have bantams) also until a few days before the hatch, then i moved her into a large wire cage so they will have more room. It worked well. I think i took my chances with moving her right before the hatch, but it went smoothly.

Good luck!​

 

[SLWyandotte]

don't know how well this works, but if you want to break them off the nest, i've heard to put her in a small pen, dog kennel would probably work, with a young rooster. he will worry her so much she will get tired of being disturbed and want back with the flock. or so i've heard.