Broody Jail

[Sandra Verbreyt]

I have put Ruby and Margo into broody jail as both are broody and are now sitting in a dog crate raised on bricks in the garden with food and water.
My question is ... Do I return them to the coop in the evening?
I hope broody jail breaks them as I go away on holiday on Friday and my daughter is taking care of them.
How long does it normally take to break them when in broody jail?
Thanks for any advice

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I tried and it took me 2 weeks! Then one day bam! She was normal, I seriously gave up and took my axe out to the coop because I was going away and she kept knocking over her water and feed.

 

[DobieLover]

I have put Ruby and Margo into broody jail as both are broody and are now sitting in a dog crate raised on bricks in the garden with food and water.
My question is ... Do I return them to the coop in the evening?
I hope broody jail breaks them as I go away on holiday on Friday and my daughter is taking care of them.
How long does it normally take to break them when in broody jail?
Thanks for any advice

You should leave them in the crates at night. That is usually when mine would head right back in to sit for the night.

I had a broody that broke with three nights and one day in the crate. I was home during the day to monitor her behavior.
I had another broody that took 7 days/8 nights to break.
I had another broody that would not break after 7 days and nights, she broke me and now I have 3 chicks trucking around with the flock.

I would recommend that you take these girls out of their crates and dunk their bellies in a bath of cool water until they are soaked to the skin then put them back in the crates. Also, if possible, blow a fan on them, low near their bellies, to further cool them down. That should help speed up the process. I did this twice a day with my 8 day girl. I also did it with the one who now has chicks. I suppose I could have pushed her a little harder but I just gave in.

Keeping them in a high traffic area will also help snap their minds out of their broody trance.

Good luck.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I've got a broody right now thats only on her second day in jail. Shes in a dog crate in our run thats positioned off the ground by 2 4x4s. I had to put cardboard down because I was worried about her hurting herself because there is no tray in that crate. We had to let her in the coop at night. She was flapping around in there as soon as it got dark. But as soon as I let her out she started brooding again. We found her on the roost this morning and put her right back in broody jail. I tried the dunk in water thing yesterday but it didnt work. She pooped and then flew off and continued to puff up her feathers and cluck. I've heard of broodys lasting for months but I'm hoping we can break her soon. She is eating...but not much

 

[DobieLover]

I tried the dunk in water thing yesterday but it didnt work.

Dunking them in water doesn't just snap them out of it instantly. It helps to cool them off.

Breaking broodiness is a process just like become broody is a process. You may have noticed some mild broody behavior before they became broody in the first place, like the ticking time bomb clucking, being just down right ornery to their flock mates, doing the turkey impersonation.

Putting the cardboard down is going to very much slow down the breaking process and prolong your poor girls time in the crate. Put a secured roost bar into the crate she can get up on to get off the wire bottom of the crate but she needs open air under her to cool her off.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Dunking them in water doesn't just snap them out of it instantly. It helps to cool them off.

Breaking broodiness is a process just like become broody is a process. You may have noticed some mild broody behavior before they became broody in the first place, like the ticking time bomb clucking, being just down right ornery to their flock mates, doing the turkey impersonation.

Putting the cardboard down is going to very much slow down the breaking process and prolong your poor girls time in the crate. Put a secured roost bar into the crate she can get up on to get off the wire bottom of the crate but she needs open air under her to cool her off.

Alright I will try that. Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

Alright I will try that. Thanks!

Good luck!

 

[aart]

are now sitting in a dog crat

Wire bottomed crate?

I had to put cardboard down because I was worried about her hurting herself because there is no tray in that crate.

Did you add 1x2 cage mesh to bottom of crate?

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(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. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Wire bottomed crate?

Did you add 1x2 cage mesh to bottom of crate?

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(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. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 1879386

I love that you labeled it! This dog crate has very large holes on the bottom which is the issue. I dont have enough 4x4s to line the whole bottom. She could very easily put both feet through these holes. It was a garage sale find...10 bucks for it. Its just thick enough cardboard that she can stand on it without falling through. She's pooping in there no problem which is why I'm thinking this will be short lived but this is my first broody. Every other time that they started this behavior I would just take the eggs out from under them and then they would give up and walk off.

 

[Stockpilejoy]

When my Mable would get broody I'd put her in what I call the Broody spa full time until she was broken and placed a soft children's frozen pack under her bottom area. I made a material slip cover with one side opened to go over it for comfort & easy removal to enable washing. After putting it under her a couple times over a two day period it would do the trick in breaking her broodiness. She was bad to not eat or drink while broody so drastic measures were needed. My edit: trick not treat plus added full time