broody hens

[catdance62]

WE have two Barred Rock hens that are broody and we do not want them to be. One is on an egg that is going to hatch soon (and she pecks), the other we just take the eggs she lays from her, so they dont' start developing (she is a good girl and not "pecky"). We have a large cage we could use to break the broodiness out of them, but my husband is worried they will get cold if they are out of the coop because the cage wont fit in there. It will, however, fit in a 3-sided shelter that is in the run that our turkey goes in at night (they all free-range during the day). I think the turkey will still be able to go in at night. It is getting down to about 40-45 here at night.
What to do? The box the one hen is using is the "community" box, so since she's hogging it most of the time (eve after we take her egg, she goes back) I have no idea where the other 2 red hens are laying their eggs!
Or, are there any other good ways to break a hen from being broody?

 

[tazcat70]

I had read somewhere (here?) that you could pick them up out of the nests at night and put them on the roost and they will stay there...after a few days of this it might break them. If the one egg is about to hatch, you could put BOTH girls in the same area and they may both this it is their baby...bad thing is they still won't lay for a few weeks...good thing, they are out of the nests.

I broke one, by putting a chick under her. The chick was too old for a mama hen and so did not bond, but the hen thought she had hatched a baby...

Good luck!!!!

 

[catdance62]

Thanks TOnya--I'm about ready to try anything!