Broody Pullet

[Painted Calls]

I have a 10 month old pullet that has been consistently laying 6 days a week for the last two months. Last week she started spending more time on her "nest." I thought hmm... maybe she's starting to go broody.

She has now gone full broody, missing belly feathers, stinky broody poo, growling and all. She has no eggs under her and hasn't laid since Tuesday. I get her up at least twice a day (she usually comes out first thing by herself to eat/drink/poop) to take care of her business.

My questions: Should I let her continue to think she's a mommy? Should I try to discourage the broody-ness? Is not laying normal for a broody pullet?

Just want to do the best by my girl. She's our family fave.

 

[chickens really]

Get her into a Broody break. A simple cage with a wire bottom elevated off the ground for a few days works great to cool the belly and snaps them out of being Broody.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broodies don't lay. They put all their energy into trying to hatch (even if there's nothing there). If you are not intending to have her hatch or raise chicks, best to break her by caging her 24/7 until she's no longer showing signs of broodiness. This will help her maintain her body condition and get her back into laying sooner rather than later, plus broodiness usually upsets things for the other birds in the flock as well.

 

[Painted Calls]

I actually have her by herself right now, so everyone else isn't too bothered by her. Probably tired of hearing all her grumbles but otherwise ok.

I'll fashion up a makeshift cage and try it. Hope it works!

 

[analyticalblonde]

Get her into a Broody break. A simple cage with a wire bottom elevated off the ground for a few days works great to cool the belly and snaps them out of being Broody.

That's exactly what I did when my Buff (at the time also 10 months old) went broody. It took 3 days. Just be mindful when you reintroduce her...the pecking order does get a little out of whack even after only 3 days.

 

[chickens really]

That's exactly what I did when my Buff (at the time also 10 months old) went broody. It took 3 days. Just be mindful when you reintroduce her...the pecking order does get a little out of whack even after only 3 days.

That's not true. They just beat them a little for being gone and usually everyone is fine. Setting in the Coop works too.

 

[Painted Calls]

Thank you! Oh she's currently by herself, so integrating won't be a problem. She's the one that tends to bully the others anyway. Hopefully it'll also knock her down a notch.

 

[analyticalblonde]

That's not true. They just beat them a little for being gone and usually everyone is fine. Setting in the Coop works too.

I stand corrected... when we brought her back out to the flock, she did get beaten around by a few of the girls and it took about an hour or so for things to calm down.

 

[aart]

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

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.

 

[Painted Calls]

Thank you!