Can't break a broody hen.

[thechicksitter]

I, too, have a broody hen--going into 3 wks -- her chest is featherless so last cpl days I've been putting antibiotics on her.  She's very pleasant and allows me to pick her up and put her in run where she promptly drinks, fluffs up - pecks around yard a bit, then heads back to coop.  She hangs out in the one box the other girls use and they just kind of nudge her over.   I was told by my chicken guru to put her in a cage by herself.  Well I don'thave a cage but I put her in small, empty coop and she threw herself against door and escaped!!!!   My friend said it takes abt 3-4 wks -- and no, I have no baby carriage -- I live on a hill -- but I'm tempted to just let her roam in my garden since she's not interested in eating and wd probably leave the veggies alone.   Any thoughts?  Thnx

I think the most effective thing we tried was the box fan blowing in her in the nesting box. Locking her out of the nesting box was a nightmare and she wouldn't roam around or anything. She'd just pace around right outside of it, screeching in anger and physically trying to break in. Non-stop.

But letting her sit in the nesting box kept her calm and the fan cooled her down and irritated her enough to get her to come off after a few days. It could have been a coincidence and she just happened to stop being broody on her own, but I personally think it helped.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I, too, have a broody hen--going into 3 wks -- her chest is featherless so last cpl days I've been putting antibiotics on her. She's very pleasant and allows me to pick her up and put her in run where she promptly drinks, fluffs up - pecks around yard a bit, then heads back to coop. She hangs out in the one box the other girls use and they just kind of nudge her over. I was told by my chicken guru to put her in a cage by herself. Well I don'thave a cage but I put her in small, empty coop and she threw herself against door and escaped!!!! My friend said it takes abt 3-4 wks -- and no, I have no baby carriage -- I live on a hill -- but I'm tempted to just let her roam in my garden since she's not interested in eating and wd probably leave the veggies alone. Any thoughts? Thnx

What are the antibiotics for?

We made our cages from woven wire fencing, some sticks for rigidity and baling wire. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to elevate the bird to get cool air against the hen's underside.

I think the most effective thing we tried was the box fan blowing in her in the nesting box. Locking her out of the nesting box was a nightmare and she wouldn't roam around or anything. She'd just pace around right outside of it, screeching in anger and physically trying to break in. Non-stop.

But letting her sit in the nesting box kept her calm and the fan cooled her down and irritated her enough to get her to come off after a few days. It could have been a coincidence and she just happened to stop being broody on her own, but I personally think it helped.

Probably coincidence but glad it's over for you.

 

[NVcattle]

Is there some reason you are keeping this hen? She likely won't get better with age, and this will happen every time she gets broody. Some hens seem to get broody very often. If she were mine, I wouldn't keep her.

 

[thechicksitter]

Is there some reason you are keeping this hen? She likely won't get better with age, and this will happen every time she gets broody. Some hens seem to get broody very often. If she were mine, I wouldn't keep her.

?
A) I wouldn't get rid of an animal just because they didn't lay an egg for a few weeks. I don't even like eggs that much and give away the majority of them. I primarily use my chickens as part of my gardening and permaculture set up. She'll poop and scratch and eat bugs long after she stops laying.
B) She showed signs of broodiness for weeks before hand but I wasn't experienced enough to recognize it. I'm hoping I can nip it in the bid earlier if it happens again.
C) Most importantly, I happen to like her very much. She's my little buddy.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

People have a wide range of reasons to keep chickens and to hang on to them when there are problems.
No 'one size fits all'.

 

[pthor]

Me to, I can't imagine getting rid of mine..

 

[Raggedyroad]

My Buff Orpington went broody early last fall. We tried everything with the exception of the cage and nothing worked. After about 3 weeks we broke down and put some 3 day old chicks under her in the evening after all the hens bedded down. She took right to them and them to her. Well, she's broody again. Has been for about 10 days. I don't really want more hens right now so I guess we'll try the cage to see if we can break her. We will probably make the cage. What should the dimensions be? Also, if she is supposed to be in the cage 24/7 how will I know when she is broke?

We tried dunking her bottom in cold water last time but maybe we didn't perform this method properly. Advice Please?

 

[buddy18]

I also had 3 hens go broody. First one the eggs didn't hatch, I felt sorry for her so I gave you 2 eggs which she hatched. The other 2 went broody at the same time so we just tried to get forcing them off the nests (these are chickens who adopted us so they roost in our hay, which they pooped all over it). Found out they peck and bite. One we broke but the other wasn't having it and she was laying on a empty nest. Gave up and gave her a egg. What I researched and found was to put a cold bag or anything cold in her nest and that is suppose to work. Hopefully I won't have another one.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My Buff Orpington went broody early last fall. We tried everything with the exception of the cage and nothing worked. After about 3 weeks we broke down and put some 3 day old chicks under her in the evening after all the hens bedded down. She took right to them and them to her. Well, she's broody again. Has been for about 10 days. I don't really want more hens right now so I guess we'll try the cage to see if we can break her. We will probably make the cage. What should the dimensions be? Also, if she is supposed to be in the cage 24/7 how will I know when she is broke?

We tried dunking her bottom in cold water last time but maybe we didn't perform this method properly. Advice Please?

Methods other than the elevated cage with no bedding have marginal results at best. A warm bottom promotes the hormones for broodiness. Dunking the bottom will not keep the bottom cold enough long enough.
They do have to be in the cage 24/7 or the hormone cycle won't be broken. The dimensions aren't important. A broody hen sits tight so the cage only has to be large enough for her, a food and a water dish. Once she's up wanting to get out of the cage, she's likely done. I pull them out after 2 days. If they go back to the nest, back into the cage she goes.
In poor areas of SE Asia, Africa and Latin America where wire for a cage may not be available, they'll use sticks bound into the shape of a cage.

I also had 3 hens go broody. First one the eggs didn't hatch, I felt sorry for her so I gave you 2 eggs which she hatched. The other 2 went broody at the same time so we just tried to get forcing them off the nests (these are chickens who adopted us so they roost in our hay, which they pooped all over it). Found out they peck and bite. One we broke but the other wasn't having it and she was laying on a empty nest. Gave up and gave her a egg. What I researched and found was to put a cold bag or anything cold in her nest and that is suppose to work. Hopefully I won't have another one.

I've used ice on occasion but nothing works better than an elevated wire bottom cage. As I said, this method has worked for thousands of years.
Chicken keepers over the millennia understood why chickens wanted to raise a family and how to quash that desire. That kind of information passed down over generations of keepers has been interrupted by the bulk of the population moving to urban areas.

 

[buddy18]

I guess that would work except they are not tame since they just showed up one day. I don't think the hen would let me pick her up and I found out if you try and even throw some bread to them they peck you hard! Ouch, she got her message across