Chick Return Program??

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Here's an option, put a 2x4 flat in the bottom of the wire cage in the middle, she can stand or sit on that to rest her feet from the wire. It shouldn't hold TOO much heat against her belly to keep her broody and it may feel enough like a perch that she will be "perching" rather than "brooding". Supply unlimited food and water in the cage so she can eat and drink. It may not be quite as effective as having her straight on the wire, but it should ease your worries about her comfort as she isn't being forced to be on the wire, she can get on the board at any time she wants off the wire, same logic as your ice packs.

Honestly, from your descriptions, you seem to have 2 options, make her slightly uncomfortable for a while by putting her in a cage to break her, or let her be "happy" and watch her starve herself to death in the nest.

Something you don't seem to have considered as well is that some broody hens will not take grafted chicks, so even if you get her young chicks, she may freak out, kill them, and continue her broody streak... No, it's not logical, but she's a hormonal bird brain, you can't really expect too much out of her....

That’s a great point! We feared that Susan wouldn’t take the chicks we bought her, and then we’d still have a broodie silkie! We were lucky that it worked out! Our broody breaker wire cage has a 2x4 roost about 12” from the bottom. The broody hens that go in spend much of their time on the roost, not just crouching on the floor. In our experience, roosting is incompatible with broodiness, so they can still be broken of their broodiness with a roost available. I’ll try to get a picture tonight.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Do you think your mom would let you get some meat birds? You could take them somewhere to get processed once they’re old enough, that way they’ll be out of the coop after a couple months. Nothing tastes better than your own home-grown chicken.

 

[sean_wonder]

I do understand sometimes broodies go on murder sprees and still end up broody— However, she seemed to bond with the ice packs I gave her and bit me once when I tried to take it away. None of my chickens are biters, so it was pretty impressive.

I’m not just some kid who bought chickens on a whim. I’ve been studying them for five years, and there’s still so much I don’t know. Yes, I am very inexperienced, but they were a very premeditated decision and I do understand some things I have to do to keep them happy won’t be in their best interest. I lost one of my chickens to a vaulted skull already, and they aren’t even purebred Silkie. I don’t like the idea of having to put them in a cage, but when I offered the option to my mom, I explained how it worked and she decided we wouldn’t do it yet because it’s not the best. I would soooo be down to get meat birds but I don’t think I can afford grower in addition to what I already feed so that they actually fatten up the way I want them to

You know what, I’m gonna try and set it up before my mom gets home. I might get in an argument but I can’t sit around complaining online and wait until my mom says ok, the situation sucks enough, let’s do it. Nope nope nope.

Gonna run off to do what I said.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I do understand sometimes broodies go on murder sprees and still end up broody— However, she seemed to bond with the ice packs I gave her and bit me once when I tried to take it away. None of my chickens are biters, so it was pretty impressive.

I’m not just some kid who bought chickens on a whim. I’ve been studying them for five years, and there’s still so much I don’t know. Yes, I am very inexperienced, but they were a very premeditated decision and I do understand some things I have to do to keep them happy won’t be in their best interest. I lost one of my chickens to a vaulted skull already, and they aren’t even purebred Silkie. I don’t like the idea of having to put them in a cage, but when I offered the option to my mom, I explained how it worked and she decided we wouldn’t do it yet because it’s not the best. I would soooo be down to get meat birds but I don’t think I can afford grower in addition to what I already feed so that they actually fatten up the way I want them to

You know what, I’m gonna try and set it up before my mom gets home. I might get in an argument but I can’t sit around complaining online and wait until my mom says ok, the situation sucks enough, let’s do it. Nope nope nope.

Gonna run off to do what I said.

Best of luck with your broodies!

 

[sean_wonder]

Broody jail. Very upset. Pacing back and forth. Ate a little. Threw a loooot of treats in there. She’s stressed for now but it’s for the best.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Broody jail. Very upset. Pacing back and forth. Ate a little. Threw a loooot of treats in there. She’s stressed for now but it’s for the best.

You really are a very thoughtful chicken parent. I have to say I am very impressed by your dedication. I mean that.

 

[Kusanar]

Hey, at least pacing back and forth is not flopping down and brooding...

 

[sean_wonder]

This morning, she's seemed to adjusted. I stayed up late worrying about her being out in the run by herself. I know she wasn't gonna be cold or anything, just the aloneness considering her chicken nature. But this morning I went out to see them all around her, doing their own thing but not wandering very far from her cage. She seems a lot more relaxed and didn't even try to break free when I filled up her food (which was completely gone. Couldn't see a scrap on the floor or anything-- I shoulda checked her crop, but it made me feel better nonetheless) and scooped a couple poops out. It's kinda adorable. Goose is now in the throes of broodiness, so she's next up for jail time once Badonkadonk is free. I just hope Goose doesn't loose as much weight as Badonkadonk did-- thankfully, Goose is a treat fiend, so I can offer protein without as much difficulty as Badonkdonk. No complaints from Mama. I don't know why I was so worried. She understood and just said "do whatever's best." Also makes me feel a lot more relaxed about the situation

@Aunt Angus Thank you for the kind words, they made me very happy. I'm sure if I was living on my own and financially secure, I'd be a long gone victim to chicken math by now.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

This morning, she's seemed to adjusted. I stayed up late worrying about her being out in the run by herself. I know she wasn't gonna be cold or anything, just the aloneness considering her chicken nature. But this morning I went out to see them all around her, doing their own thing but not wandering very far from her cage. She seems a lot more relaxed and didn't even try to break free when I filled up her food (which was completely gone. Couldn't see a scrap on the floor or anything-- I shoulda checked her crop, but it made me feel better nonetheless) and scooped a couple poops out. It's kinda adorable. Goose is now in the throes of broodiness, so she's next up for jail time once Badonkadonk is free. I just hope Goose doesn't loose as much weight as Badonkadonk did-- thankfully, Goose is a treat fiend, so I can offer protein without as much difficulty as Badonkdonk. No complaints from Mama. I don't know why I was so worried. She understood and just said "do whatever's best." Also makes me feel a lot more relaxed about the situation

@Aunt Angus Thank you for the kind words, they made me very happy. I'm sure if I was living on my own and financially secure, I'd be a long gone victim to chicken math by now.

Great to hear! I let Susan out of broody jail for a bit last night and she made a bee line for the nest boxes so beak to jail she went... The chicks she raised are gathered around the broody breaker cage and chattering to mama so she has company. You could try adding your second broody to the wire cage. As long as they aren’t nesting, being together should be fine. They won’t be engaging in the normal repertoire of chicken behaviors until the broody hormones pass, so they don’t need as much room as chickens normally do.

 

[sean_wonder]

they don’t need as much room as chickens normally do.

While I do believe you, Badonkadonk is a quite a nasty broody and tore out some of Goose's cheek feathers yesterday because she wanted her favorite dust bathing spot back. I don't want poor Goose to get truly injured if Badonkadonk isn't feeling like herself