discouraging broodiness??

[austinhart123]

my little serama hen started laying about two weeks ago and ive been collecting her eggs every day but i put one egg in there thats from a mut that i wrote on so i know to leave it there. well anyways, the last two days ive gone to collect her egg she is walking around the coop like normal but when i get close she growls, and i can hear her clucking like a broody under her breath so i have a feeling she has the idea in her mind to go broody. if i keep collecting every day will she not go broody or is there something i can do to make sure she doesnt?
she only laid 14 eggs and i would hate for her to quit now. any advice?

 

[jacyjones]

I'm not sure how you can discourage her but if she starts to sit on eggs you need to make it uncomfortable for her. Put her on a hard floor like concrete, give her food and water but make it so she can't sit on any eggs. I keep mine separate in a sort of crate until they come out of it.

 

[austinhart123]

Quote:
well if she goes full on broody ill let her sit on her eggs, becuase at that point it will be too late and she would have already stopped laying, but im trying to avoid that

 

[Lucy4]

I kicked mine out of the coop/pen. Put food and water out and don't let her near the nesting box. Took two days last time, and she was done being broody.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

For a determined broody hen, the wire cage method seems to be the only one that works.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=181289

There are lots of other threads with people reporting their experience. My Black Austalorps were very determined. I let them set for several weeks. It was not good for them and I am sorry I didn't follow the advice for the wire cage method sooner.

Good luck.

 

[austinhart123]

shes not broody yet, im wondering if theres anything i can do to discourage her since im starting to see signs, i guess the question was tough to read sorry

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

That is an interesting question. It will be interesting to see if anyone has any ideas.