Contagious broodiness and general broodiness frustration

[Feth3r]

I’m a relatively new chicken owner having a flock of 9 hens since last July (all chicks from a local farm store). I have one Silkie hen who is CONSTANTLY broody. Since March I have been on this vicious cycle with her. She will sit in the nesting box all hunkered down laying on absolutely NOTHING. I will pick her up and put her outside and she will lay there for a bit then run off and join her flock. The first time it happened I tried everything I could. I pulled her out of the nesting box 10 times a day. Put her on her roosting bar at night. I can’t close off her nesting area because she just picks another empty box because again, she’s sitting on nothing. I tried giving her cool water dips. I tried keeping the nesting boxes slightly open to make them not as hospitable to nesting. Finally I resulted to chicken jail for three days. After three days I let her out and she ran to join her flock. For about a week or two she is fine. No broodiness and back to herself.

After a week or so of being fine she starts to lay again. She lays for a few days and then she’s back to broody again. As of today she’s back in broody jail...and it’s the third time since she started this cycle in March. She always goes back to being broody after just a few days of laying. And NOW I have a copper maran that I’m seeing sleeping in the nesting box on my coop cam that I kicked out at least three times today. Is broodiness ”contagious”.

Is there anything else I can do besides chicken jail and cool water dips to break broodiness.? Can I put two chickens in the same jail (small dog crate)? Is my nesting box maybe too cozy? I cant handle more chicks at the moment so getting eggs for these girls to sit on isn’t an option.

 

[wamtazlady]

You have to realize that many people keep Silkies due to their broodiness. If you want a hen to hatch out chicks there is none that are better than a Silkie. There is not a whole heck of a lot you can do to change her nature. I have had success with putting a short tupperware type container that is nearly as large as the nesting box filled with ice in the nesting box. I change the ice twice a day and got my Cochin hens to stop being broody. However, within a month they were broody again. At least for a few weeks they were eating well.

I have never heard of broodiness being contagious. Funny that those who want broody hens seem to have hens that have no desire to hatch chicks. Those who don't want chicks get the broody hens, or so it seems sometimes.

 

[aart]

Can I put two chickens in the same jail (small dog crate)?

If crate is big enough and/or they don't fight, yes.

Is my nesting box maybe too cozy?

No, it's about hormones.

Had to break a broody Marans Mix 7 times one summer,
that was after she hatched in March.
Finally gave her away....and she never went broody again.