Consistently broody chicken

[BYC60586]

Need some advice. I have a Buff Orpington that is 15 months old she is one of a flock of 6 hens. She started getting broody around 6 or 7 months old. I took all the advice here and put her in broody prison, she was in for about 4 days and signs were gone so back with the flock she went. About 5 weeks later she is broody again I repeat the prison term symptoms are gone after about 4 or 5 days back with the flock she goes. This is a constant repeating problem of her being broody about 4 or 5 weeks after I break her of it. The problem is every time I have to keep her in prison longer to break the cycle, longest sentence has been 11 days. I am sure this is not normal and I don't think it can be good for her. What can I do to break this for a long term. I don't have access to fertilized eggs that she could hatch or I would have tried that. I am stumped and really need everyone's help on this.
TIA.

 

[lazy gardener]

First, if you DID have access to fertile eggs, would you want or even have room for chicks? And, if you did, would you have an exit plan for any cockerels? Do you have a flock size limit in your town or zoning area?

If you DID want new chicks, and had the room for them, could you advertise on craig's list for fertile eggs? Or, you could let her set on unfertile eggs for close to 3 weeks, then sneak some day old chicks under her. By giving her the option to set for 3 weeks, then raise some chicks, that may re-set her hormonal clock.

Otherwise, if you find her constant broodiness to be a deal breaker for you, you might consider re-homing her to a flock with a rooster, where her broodiness would be a welcome flock addition.

Moving forward, you might choose breeds that are less prone to broodiness.

 

[DaphneNL]

I have a hen like that. She has 4 chicks right now because I figured she would kill herself sitting on an empty nest forever if I didn't get her eggs. Nothing else worked.

 

[BYC60586]

First, if you DID have access to fertile eggs, would you want or even have room for chicks? And, if you did, would you have an exit plan for any cockerels? Do you have a flock size limit in your town or zoning area?

If you DID want new chicks, and had the room for them, could you advertise on craig's list for fertile eggs? Or, you could let her set on unfertile eggs for close to 3 weeks, then sneak some day old chicks under her. By giving her the option to set for 3 weeks, then raise some chicks, that may re-set her hormonal clock.

Otherwise, if you find her constant broodiness to be a deal breaker for you, you might consider re-homing her to a flock with a rooster, where her broodiness would be a welcome flock addition.

Moving forward, you might choose breeds that are less prone to broodiness.

Lazy,
Maybe you misunderstood my post. I am concerned about the chickens health it wasnt a complaint or deal breaker. Im sure her going through this every 4 to 6 weeks is not healthy. I am looking for real options that could break this cycle. I rhouggt of having her sit on non firtile eggs but read that real beiody chickens will sit as long as it takes to the point of death.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, having a hen who is broody every 4 - 6 weeks is not healthy. My point is this: perhaps allowing her to sit out a natural setting cycle of 3 weeks, followed by the 4 - 6 weeks that a broody usually spends raising her chicks would be sufficient to break her out of her repetitive broody cycles. As for my deal breaker comment, if you are not set up to let her go through the incubation followed by raising chicks, perhaps it would be more appropriate to her physiological needs to re-home her to a flock where that could happen.

 

[snow5164]

I would put her in a new environment, I have moved a broody hen to a play yard and she was so excited to have new grass, and ran around singing , her broody cycle ended after a week and we put her back .

Having her in a dog kennel in the run with the others with no place to hide might help , I don’t think she’s broody that often .... is she eating ? Comes for treats ?

If she is not skinny and she’s eating just let her be, I wouldn’t give her away , ..

 

[jp57]

I have had a couple of my buff orpingtons become broody. I don't have a rooster so I know the eggs are not fertilized. I would pick them up from the nesting boxes and place them outside of the coop. Some of my other girls would come over and peck at the one that I had just removed. Some time I would have to do this 4 or 5 times a day, but they give up after a couple of days.

 

[aart]

Have a serial broody here, a BCM mix.
Went broody as pullet last fall but broke quick just tossing from nest.
She went again in March and I let her hatch
She weaned at 4 weeks laid for a couple weeks then broody again.
Broke her in crate pretty easy, she laid a few eggs and went broody again.
And again, and again..I can't remember just how many times, it was longer each time this last one took a week to break her. It was so hot I had to keep crate in run then move to shade in yard a couple times a day. SMH. I hope she's done now. It's a PITA. Maybe crate not being in coop did the trick.

I think the only way to permanently break her would be to have a vet inject her with some hormone(not sure just what it is but have read of several incidences).

 

[lazy gardener]

My broodies have always broken in about 4 days by placing them in a tractor on the grass every day. I let them return to the coop to sleep, then put them back in the tractor every day till they break. obviously, mine have not been as deeply mired in the broody hormone pit as OP's bird!

 

[aart]

obviously, mine have not been

...Persistent Broodies. Be Glad