can I stop broody hen, if so, how?

Just my two cents here. . . I had two bantam hens (of some unknown variety) who went broody. I'd read many places that you just keep disturbing them, pulling them out of the nest, stealing the eggs, etc. These gals were broody all summer, despite all our efforts. My husband and I were both dumping them out of the nest several times a day if we were off work. To no avail. We have a flock of young birds who have just started laying. When it got time for them to be laying, we went ahead and got those hens ready for the freezer. The very next day, first one dominique and then the next went broody. These are year old hens. I suppose they were just waiting for the nests to be available. Those two girls are awesome layers and good, docile birds. I really want to keep them at least til Spring. They have been so kind to the new chicks coming in and everything. So, back to reading. Gotta try something different this time. I decided to try the wire cage deal. I even put them in there together with a roost and plenty of food and water. I lifted it off the ground on four rocks. Four days in there and they were done. I didn't dunk them but we had a ton of rain in those four days so who knows. Maybe that took the place of dunking. They are back to laying and this was about a week and a half ago. Our chickens aren't pets but I do like my dominique hens a whole lot. They are just good birds, the hens at least. We had a bad experience with a dominique rooster. Gorgeous fellow but mean, mean, mean, lol!! We like our Lavender orpington gentleman much better.
 
I have a broody bantam cochin who has been sitting on nothing for over 2 weeks. I keep taking other birds eggs out from under her. not sure how they manage to lay eggs with her in the way but they do..i read everyones advice and put her in an elevated wire cage this morning. I was amazed to see she has no feathers on her chest and belly cause she pulled them out to line the box.. It is 61 g=degrees right now so i am pretty sure she is gonna cool down real quick..Unfortunately, her sister has taken her place and might be joining her in the cage..
 
When mine go broody & I dont want any babies I just constantly go out and toss them off the nest. But I have one hen that will NEVER give up so I give her an egg or two just to let her be. The other hens after about a week of being tossed they get the memo and move on..
 
I have a broody bantam cochin who has been sitting on nothing for over 2 weeks. I keep taking other birds eggs out from under her. not sure how they manage to lay eggs with her in the way but they do..i read everyones advice and put her in an elevated wire cage this morning. I was amazed to see she has no feathers on her chest and belly cause she pulled them out to line the box.. It is 61 g=degrees right now so i am pretty sure she is gonna cool down real quick..Unfortunately, her sister has taken her place and might be joining her in the cage..

They will crawl on top of her in the nest box and lay then when they get out momma hen/egg stealer will move the egg just so under herself and get comfy.

I had to witness this before I figured out how my broody was getting more eggs. I knew she was never coming off the nest..lol
 
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That is just too strange to fathom...but they are chickens so i wouldn't put anything past them...
Right now, she is stomping around in her cage, wanting out...will give her three days and see how she does.. It is gonna be 50 degrees tonight so she should cool her jets by then...
 
okay so today is day 2 of lockdown and she was acting up and stomping her feet and promised that she'd be good if I let her out so I gave it a try.. She jumped out , ate some food, took a dirt bath, hung with the other chickens till my back was turned and disappeared back into the coop and I found her snuggled onto an empty nest growling at me...Took one very unhappy bird back to solitary,,, never trust a chicken......
 
okay so today is day 2 of lockdown and she was acting up and stomping her feet and promised that she'd be good if I let her out so I gave it a try.. She jumped out , ate some food, took a dirt bath, hung with the other chickens till my back was turned and disappeared back into the coop and I found her snuggled onto an empty nest growling at me...Took one very unhappy bird back to solitary,,, never trust a chicken......

 
What kind of chicken are you trying to break?
 
okay so today is day 2 of lockdown and she was acting up and stomping her feet and promised that she'd be good if I let her out so I gave it a try.. She jumped out , ate some food, took a dirt bath, hung with the other chickens till my back was turned and disappeared back into the coop and I found her snuggled onto an empty nest growling at me...Took one very unhappy bird back to solitary,,, never trust a chicken......
yuckyuck.gif
LOL you been had by a chicken!
Hehehe I watch my little Xena broody on her fake eggs in the nest
- and if I toss her off she runs around the garden talking to her "invisibabies"
...before speeding down the garden back to the hutch to go back on fake eggs!
SO cute
 

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