Extreme Brooding

[jona.b.hill]

We have a Whiting True Blue, about 1.5yo, and has been brooding or trying to brood for 3 months now. We've just about given up because we work full time. We've blocked her in various ways from getting in the coop for a month now, but as soon as we open up, she bolts in. Blocking her favorite nest box has no effect. She's lost a lot of weight (we give her ample food opportunities, but doesn't eat much). We don't have a rooster: this hen sits on nothing, or others' eggs, all day if allowed. Any ideas would be very appreciated!

 

[CluckerFamily]

It sounds like a broody jail will work if allowing her to hatch eggs isn't an option.

 

[jona.b.hill]

It sounds like a broody jail will work if allowing her to hatch eggs isn't an option.

Thanks. We have a coop fenced off from the yard. We usually put her in the yard (no access to the coop), or wait until all egg laying is done and close the coop. Nothing works: she bolts in the second we open up.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thanks. We have a coop fenced off from the yard. We usually put her in the yard (no access to the coop), or wait until all egg laying is done and close the coop. Nothing works: she bolts in the second we open up.

Broody jail is a dog crate with food and water so that there isn't a way for her to lay like she does when she is broody. You can add a perch for her to roost on at night.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Typically hens will break in about 3 days using broody jail 24/7, but if she's been trying to brood for this long, I don't know if she'll break in any reasonable period of time.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Put her in a wire cage raised off the ground. Provide her with rich food (maybe including scrambled eggs, or other things) and let her sit for a few days. If she is still trying to sit when tuu it let her out, stick her back in.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Another option…
If she’s hellbent on staying there til she starved or something hatches, I’d go with the latter. Can you buy her a single chick? You could even sell it the minute she ‘weans’ it.

 

[PoultryCQ]

Another option…
If she’s hellbent on staying there til she starved or something hatches, I’d go with the latter. Can you buy her a single chick? You could even sell it the minute she ‘weans’ it.

Sometimes broody hens go back to sitting after they abandon their chicks. Breaking the hen in a broody jail is the most consistant way.

 

[3KillerBs]

If space in your coop is limited so that you can't fit a broody breaker inside you can make something like my Outdoor Broody Breaker:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/outdoor-broody-breaker.76592/

 

[aart]

Broody jail is a dog crate with food and water so that there isn't a way for her to lay like she does when she is broody. You can add a perch for her to roost on at night.

Like this:
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours I let her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor,
gives the feet a break from the wire floor and encourages roosting.