Broody Leghorn

[gdgross]

My little flock consists of three hens - a rhode island, a leghorn and an American game
Bird. They're great! The rhode island and the leghorns are the only ones laying though, well up until a week ago...

Now the leghorn has gone Broody and the rhode island is the only one who's laying. My leghorn will sit in the nest box all day long if I let her. When I'm around I'll kick her out put her in the yard with the other two, and she seems to be fine: scratching, foraging, taking dirt baths as usual. But in less than an hour, she'll be back in the coop on her nest box, wanting to be a mama. The funny thing is, half the time there's no eggs in there anyway!

I'm a little concerned, since she's stopped laying especially. I keep kicking her out and she seems fine, but she'll go right back in after a bit. I'm at work 5 days a week so it's difficult to keep an eye on her.
Any ideas?

Thanks!!

 

[Judy]

The usual method of breaking a broody is to put her in a wire cage with a wire bottom for a few days. Give her food and water, of course, but no nesting material. Apparently the air to her bottom cools her off and stops the hormonal change. Doesn't always work, though.

I just lift mine off the nest and chase her outside to peck and scratch a few times a day. Usually works in a few days or a week.

They are perfectly happy to try to hatch air. Here's a good article on broodies: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=411287

 

[kerriliane]

could you send her to me? I want to buy a dozen fertile blue eggs at the auction on saturday.. and need someone to sit on them.. since my broody is due to hatch hers just after hallowe'en.

 

[gdgross]

Well I did a little googling and did the baptizing method - a couple days of that and she was back to normal, although she's not laying again yet...any idea how long before they start laying again?



Thanks!

Ps I wanted to do the wore cage but I only have a really small one - like barely big enough to transport a chicken...the water dunking seemed easy enough, too.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Make sure she lives through the winter! She'll hatch some babies for you.

I have 4 cochin hens ... and this fall 2 of my dang hybrid layers went broody on me! We have roos and I gladly would have let them hatch eggs but it was October ... in Michigan, so they'll have to wait until April.