Ex broody still being picked on

[Kaitie09]

We finally broke our hen after 2 weeks. She is not sitting on the eggs anymore and is roosting at night, but she will not come out of the coop. Our roo is terrorizing her every time she gets down. He never did this to her until she went broody. Does anyone know if he will eventually stop and she can return to normal?

We had her separated for a day when we were trying to break her. We felt bad and eventually just locked her out in the run with the rest of the chickens during a cold/windy day instead so she could not get comfortable. The other hens are still fine with her, and she osts next to our roo at night with no problems.

 

[Judy]

I'd probably give them a couple of weeks to sort things out, unless the rooster is injuring her.

 

[nanawendy]

Weird thing about broody hens. Bring this up again tomorrow or re-post. Some of the experts back east are in bed by now.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too had difficulty reintroducing a broody. She was being beat up by the hens though, not the rooster. The rooster did his best to protect her and her babies. It got to the point where she wasn't eating (her crop was empty at night) and hiding on the roost all day. Her babies had no trouble integrating.

I made it a daily ritual to throw out some scratch for the others, go into the coop and pull her out. I'd sit down and put her at my feet with a bit of scratch for her. At first, she just ran back into the coop. Then gradually over about a 2 week period, she'd stay out longer and longer until I'd go out to collect eggs and notice her outside with the others. She's fully integrated back in now, but she has become the lap chicken. She comes running to me everytime I go into the run expecting to be picked up and held. If she gets scared, she will come to me for protection.

It will take time on your part, but you can get her back in with the group.