Broody Orpington, why oh why

[unbaked pegga]

I have only 3 orpingtons. They have about drove me CRAZY with their broodiness. I get one broken and I'll be dangled if another one doesn't become broody. It is unbelievable how stubborn they are. They act hysterical if they can't get to the nest box. I have always checked the nest box at least 2x a day & took out eggs faithfully.. The one that is broody right now is a tough one. Meek little thing she used to be. I have removed all nesting material, blocked off the boxes (then nobody gets to lay). I have put her in cool water to cover the front of her breast. She is not having any of it. I don't have a cage but I am determined. I can pick her up and put her in the yard with her squawking at the top her lungs and trying to shred my hands (I started wearing gloves afte the first instance of that behavior. ) . I make her stay outside the chicken coop during the day. She and her sister have never roosted, preferring to lay on floor of chicken coop. This morning she came out with the others but if I even give her a glance sideways, she screams like a banshee. She hasn't made any attempt to go back in the coop today but if one of her compadres gets too close to her (I presume she has that distance calculated in her head) she screams and puffs up like the Incredible Hulk). I have the patience of Job and she will NOT win. I hope it will not hurt the others not being abl to get to the nest box.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Good luck with that! Try having Silkies, I have 4 broodies right now. I don't even try to break them anymore. If I do, another will just step right into her nest box

 

[TroyerGal]

So... does that mean i shouldn't look forward to broodys?

 

[unbaked pegga]

So how long before they return to their own sweet personality? I read (here or another forum) that they can be broody 25+ days. With her eating and drinking very little I will just have a skeleton with feathers.

 

[trailrider330]

Every bird is different. For my buff orpington, if I allow her to hatch eggs, it generally isn't until the chicks are about 6 weeks old that she goes back to being herself and laying eggs again. If I neither break her or give her eggs, she generally gives up after about 4 weeks of being broody and goes back to roosting with the others and laying eggs. If I break her, it generally does not take more than 3-5 days to do so.

My buff is definitely my biggest, puffiest, moodiest and most protective broody I've ever had, but she is also the one that is the easiest to break when I want to. However, she is also the one that is content to "share" her nest so she can have plenty of breaks and get off the nest to stroll around.

 

[unbaked pegga]

Yesterday Lilac was her usual sweet self returning from the edge of insanitty. I was so happy. Of course i know it will be back.the only negative outcome is that her sister started laying under the coop but that is a very snall price to pay for Lilac to return to normal. She took leave of her senses for about a week there

 

[csaylorchickens]

I have salmon faverolles what a pain with broodieness. They are a yea and a half i had to use the broody breaker 6 times in the last 6 months and i only have 4. I have 4 more baby buff orps i pray they are not as brrody as the faverolles

 

[OrpingtonBrahma]

Orpingtons tend to be broody. I looked this up and Orpingtons are the 3rd Broodiest birds followed by Brahmas. and Lead by Silkies and Cochins
. One of the ways to break a Broody is moving her in daylight. We have one Buff that seems to almost always be broody. Let's just say that hen will get to try to hatch eggs later on this year.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/5-broody-chicken-breeds-great-for-hatching-eggs-3/