Broody?

[enrgizerbunny]

I have a broody orpington right now. No rooster, I collect the eggs daily at night. Can she be broken of it?

 

[Birdsong 82]

I’ve heard of ways to break them of it but never but in my memory bank cause never had this problem. I want my girl to sit. I think it’ll be an interesting new process. Like upping my chicken game a little

 

[Trish1974]

I have a broody orpington right now. No rooster, I collect the eggs daily at night. Can she be broken of it?

Yeah... you could give her to me!
Seriously though, I've seen @aart post some good advice on breaking a broody in past threads. @aart can you help?

 

[aart]

I have a broody orpington right now. No rooster, I collect the eggs daily at night. Can she be broken of it?

Yeah... you could give her to me!
Seriously though, I've seen @aart post some good advice on breaking a broody in past threads. @aart can you help?

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 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.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Update... she keeps getting her nest stolen ( lowest in pecking order) and busted my New Hampshire eating one of the eggs while my broody watching and squawking. I kicked the egg eater out and cleaned up trying not to disturb the other eggs. My broody sat right back down. I closed her in there for right now ( it’s a mini 3x4 house with 3 boxers inside my Xtra large run. Can’t leave her in there for too long but now what?

 

[aart]

I closed her in there for right now ( it’s a mini 3x4 house with 3 boxers inside my Xtra large run. Can’t leave her in there for too long but now what?

Is that your only coop or an 'extra'?
Sounds like a perfect broody coop.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

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 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 1755128

If this isn't feasible for me, will she break of this eventually or will she sit until eggs hatch?

 

[Birdsong 82]

Update... she keeps getting her nest stolen ( lowest in pecking order) and busted my New Hampshire eating one of the eggs while my broody watching and squawking. I kicked the egg eater out and cleaned up trying not to disturb the other eggs. My broody sat right back down. I closed her in there for right now ( it’s a mini 3x4 house with 3 boxers inside my Xtra large run. Can’t leave her in there for too long but now what?

Their is no run ... is that ok. I can keep the side door open and HC it off for enough ventilation. There is another nesting box in there that gets used. If I block off the others will that throw them off. There’s other boxes available... they just don’t usually use them

 

[aart]

If this isn't feasible for me, will she break of this eventually or will she sit until eggs hatch?

She may sit longer than 21 days.....unless she has fertile eggs that hatch.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

She may sit longer than 21 days.....unless she has fertile eggs that hatch.

I kicked her out today and took the eggs. She seems to have stayed out today.