Broody not breaking... Advice needed.

[dunnmom]

Here's the situation. I have a first time broody, who has been broody for appx. one week. She has spent 5 days in a broody breaking cage. I've never seen her sitting down in there in all 5 days. However, I put her back in the coop at night to keep predators from bothering her. She rests on the floor of the coop and then I open the nests up when I go to feed everyone in the morning. Without fail, she gets right back in the nest and I have to remove her to eat before I put her in the cage for the day. I've been doing this everyday without fail for 5 days, but it doesn't seem to be working. Her sister was broken in 3 days using the same cage setup and method. Is it too late to break down and give her eggs to sit on, or would the point be moot?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

You could still give her eggs or chicks. Putting her in the broody breaker only during the day isn't enough for all broodies to be broken. Some determined hens need it all day and night with no time in the nests.

 

[cassie]

I used to put my broodies in a wire cage. The floor was wire too. It had food and water inside, but no bedding and no solid floor. I left them there for about five days. Worked for me.

 

[dunnmom]

Ok, I got my husband to agree to start bringing the cage into the garage at night. I also just dunked her in water as I've seen some people suggest. I hope that does the trick. I'm starting to think breaking a broody is harder than letting them hatch. Sheesh!

 

[aart]

Is the cage wire bottomed and raised off the ground?
It can be real PITA if you don't have a good setup.
Wire bottom raised off floor, right in coop.
They stay in there 24/7 except for a walk-about an hour before roost time.

 

[dunnmom]

Yes it is. But today I decided I don't have it in me to be mean to her anymore. I've done the water baths, cold packs, isolation, the whole bit for a week. None of it is helping. She HATES me right now. If she's still broody by Mon., I'm giving her some hatching eggs as a consolation prize. If she abandons the nest in the middle, I'd rather that than keep up with this torture routine.

 

[Melodychick]

I have a persistent broody too. When I joined here she had been broody for two weeks and kept in a raised wire bottom cage with no progress. I followed the advice given here and used cold packs. It seemed to have worked and within two days she was back with the flock. She stayed out of the nest for several weeks and started laying again, but when I brought my new chicks out to the brooder, she was back in the nest within a couple days. She's been back in the cage for a week now...

 

[21hens-incharge]

I vote to give the uber broody ones eggs or chicks and sell them once they are about 2 months old.



Or keep them. chicken math!

 

[Melodychick]

I vote to give the uber broody ones eggs or chicks and sell them once they are about 2 months old.



Or keep them. chicken math!

Hopefully soon I will be in the position to expand my coop and give that a try!

 

[dunnmom]

Huh? I went out to check on Ms. Broody Pants this morning. She was out and about. Maybe she was just waiting for her breakfast, but I had to pull her out of there to eat on the days prior. For some reason, it was important to me not to feed her in the cage. Anyway, maybe she's getting over it, after I put her back with everyone else yesterday. Maybe the other hens trying to get in the nest box on top of her was just too much for her. I did find 2 hens squished in one box yesterday. I laughed so hard!