Discouraging Broodiness

[Pollitos6]

I have a 7 month old Buff Orpintong that has been broody for about 3 weeks. We don't have a rooster so no point to let her go broody. We have been unsuccessfully trying to discouraging broodiness but we haven't have any luck. We collect the eggs as soon as possible and we tried to get her out of the nest as often as possible. When I get her out of the nest she does eat and do her business for a few minutes and then she wants to go back to the nest. Sometimes she lay in an empty nest. How much longer does chickens stay broody? Any advice is very appreciated.

Thanks
Cristina

 

[azygous]

This hen must have been a very early layer. How old was she when she began laying eggs? Does she have all the broody signs? Bare keel bone, irritable and making the rapid broody cluck, puffed up like an angry badger when you touch her on the nest?

 

[Pollitos6]

This hen must have been a very early layer. How old was she when she began laying eggs? Does she have all the broody signs? Bare keel bone, irritable and making the rapid broody cluck, puffed up like an angry badger when you touch her on the nest?

Both of my Orpintons started laying eggs when they were 6 months old. Same thing with one of my Australorp. The broody hen is not aggressive with me, she lets me pick her up and pet her. However, she does puffed up when I touch her and makes this rapid broody cluck and she only wants to be in the nest. She has also stopped laying eggs a few days ago.

 

[azygous]

Looks like you may have a serial broody on your hands. I had one for seven years until a bobcat ate her. She would go broody three or four times a year like clockwork.

The key to breaking a broody is to break her early in her broody cycle. It takes less time that way. Some hens will happily remain broody for weeks into months if left alone. This is hard on their health and completely unproductive when no hatching eggs are involved.

To break a broody, she much be confined to a open mesh bottom cage day and night until she has lost her drive to occupy a nest. This is important because if you let a broody loose too soon and she manages to get herself set up anywhere she has a solid surface under her, including a perch, that refects heat back to her underparts and keeps the broody hormones active. Instead, you want to insure she has cooling air circulating under her.

It takes on average three days to break a broody. My serial broody, being genetically determined, required up to nine days to break.

 

[Pollitos6]

Looks like you may have a serial broody on your hands. I had one for seven years until a bobcat ate her. She would go broody three or four times a year like clockwork.

The key to breaking a broody is to break her early in her broody cycle. It takes less time that way. Some hens will happily remain broody for weeks into months if left alone. This is hard on their health and completely unproductive when no hatching eggs are involved.

To break a broody, she much be confined to a open mesh bottom cage day and night until she has lost her drive to occupy a nest. This is important because if you let a broody loose too soon and she manages to get herself set up anywhere she has a solid surface under her, including a perch, that refects heat back to her underparts and keeps the broody hormones active. Instead, you want to insure she has cooling air circulating under her.

It takes on average three days to break a broody. My serial broody, being genetically determined, required up to nine days to break.

Thanks for your advice. Does she needs to be in the cage the whole time or can I let her out (supervised) in the yard to forage? How will I know she is not longer broody?

Thanks
Cristina

 

[azygous]

You can let her out for very short supervised excursions so she can dirt bathe. I stress supervised, because broodies are very cunning and dishonest, promising they will definitely not return to the nest and the second you turn your back, they seem to vanish and re-materialize on a nest.

It's very important you do not allow it. Also, as I pointed out, they must sleep in the cage, too, or the same thing will happen.

You will know a broody is broken when they no longer make a beeline for the nest.

 

[Pollitos6]

You can let her out for very short supervised excursions so she can dirt bathe. I stress supervised, because broodies are very cunning and dishonest, promising they will definitely not return to the nest and the second you turn your back, they seem to vanish and re-materialize on a nest.

It's very important you do not allow it. Also, as I pointed out, they must sleep in the cage, too, or the same thing will happen.

You will know a broody is broken when they no longer make a beeline for the nest.

Thank you so much!!

 

[aart]

Below is how I usually break a broody.
It will take longer if she's been broody for 3 weeks.
Had a serial broody last summer and found that moving the crate around helped,
learned this by accident as it was too hot to leave her in the coop so had to move her around to the shade a few times a day.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Pollitos6]

Below is how I usually break a broody.
It will take longer if she's been broody for 3 weeks.
Had a serial broody last summer and found that moving the crate around helped,
learned this by accident as it was too hot to leave her in the coop so had to move her around to the shade a few times a day.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 1666196

Thanks for your advice aart,
I did put my broody hen inside a wire crate last night and let me tell you she did not like it at all and she was very vocal about it LOL. I felt bad leaving her inside the crate but I know is the best for her. I have been checking on her often and she is doing ok. I will take her out in the yard and let her enjoy fresh grass for a little while and then back to the crate. I really hope she stop being broody soon. I really like the option you used to provide water for your chicken in the crate. How did you do it? Did you put a nipple in the bottle?

Thanks
Cristina

 

[aart]

I will take her out in the yard and let her enjoy fresh grass for a little while and then back to the crate. I really hope she stop being broody soon. I really like the option you used to provide water for your chicken in the crate. How did you do it? Did you put a nipple in the bottle?

I let mine out an hour or so before roosting time, when I have time to watch her...if she's goes right back to a nest you want to get her back in the crate asap. If they are really broody, I leave them in there 24/7 for 2-3 days.

If your birds are already using horizontal nipples.....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nipple-waterer-for-wire-crates-by-aart.72704/