First broody experience - this is NOT fun

[hkeibard]

To get to the point, here's my question, then I'll explain the story:
QUESTION:
If I put a chicken in broody jail (dog crate) within an open air coop in Florida, do I then move her to the roost in the evening after dark?
Or must a hen in broody jail remain in jail without parole for the duration of the broody sentence (hopefully 2-3 days)?
The broody hen in question is already low on the pecking order.
I'm concerned about where I actually locate the broody jail within the already hot coop (or run) for such a long period of time (2-3 days).
The coop stays a few degrees hotter than the run which is half open aired on the top/roof.

STORY:
I'm still the new kid on the block here. First batch of 8 hens still living since late October 2020.
Now I have my first broody hen. Weirdly (based on what I've read) it's my Cream Legbar (nope, not the Cochin, the friggin Legbar).
It's like watching a chicken lose it's mind! She's seriously nuts! I feel like I'm at war with a chicken.

Florida weather here, so even in an open air coop and open air run it nears almost 100 degrees on some days already in May/June.
I do various things to keep the temps down and chickens cooled (fans, ice in water, electrolytes, etc.) and so far so good.

But now the Legar has gone crazy broody and I have to remove her from the wooden nesting boxes multiple times per day to get her to eat/drink. She's a sweaty, grouchy hot mess when she comes out. I manage to get her to the roosting bar each night, after doing "battle" with her until dark anyway, and blocking the nesting boxes with some plastic plant pots. It's really taxing and time consuming and I'm worried about her health.

I expect the only real hope of breaking it is to put her in broody jail. However, my CONCERN IS THE HEAT HERE IN FLORIDA. I can't bring her inside anywhere else that is air conditioned (my husband would kill me and the dogs would kill her). And any other building we have would be super hot as well and more closed up or less secure than the coop. So I can only put the broody jail in the coop or the attached run. I'm just not all that comfortable with the idea of it yet though.

Coop is 10x10. Attached run is 10x16. There are six nesting boxes built onto the backside of the coop. Chickens go freely from the coop to the run and back all day.

Any help or guidance appreciated.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I cage my broodies in the run day and night, no room in the coop for it.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run, run not predator safe) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[hkeibard]

Thanks rosemarythyme,
I'll work today on what I can set up. The run is secure (hardware cloth on all sides including the top and a predator apron all around) but the coop is even more so with another layer of 2x3 wire fencing. There has been a coyote and a bobcat on the prowl in the area lately so I would prefer her to be in the coop at night. Also the coop would provide a little more protection from the elements in case of a sudden Florida downpour.

So I'll see if I can devise a spot in the coop to elevate the dog crate in such a way that I can utilize a fan to help keep her cool. I'll report back.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is what I did with mine for an outdoor broody breaker: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/outdoor-broody-breaker.76592/

You could put a picnic fly up over the cage for shade.

 

[icy_flames]

I have a Buff Orpington I'm trying to break as we speak. Her crate is in our secure run which is shaded. It's been 100 degrees here this week. The most important thing you can do is shade and make sure she has water. I like using the run because my girl is still around her flock and gets treats/attention.

 

[swampfox440]

It is good to have a broody if you decide to hatch something else , like duck eggs but in your case it is probably best to cool her off .

 

[hkeibard]

Here is what we came up with today. Hubby gets credit for the actual build.
We put the dog crate in front of two of the six nesting boxes. There was already a wood rail outside the boxes where the broody hen in question would sit and wait for the other hens to lay. The crate balanced pretty well against the rail and the box frames and my husband secured some legs with some pvc pipe we had available. It's quite secure and stable.

It's elevated plenty which helps with my access to her in it, and the air flow should be good with a fan I can put nearby.

Of course, I'm not at all sure how bright an idea it is to have it so close to the nesting boxes which I'm trying to keep her away from; however, I feel the plus points are:
- it didn't impact the floor footprint too much
- it will be close to the roosting bar with the other hens and at a similar height
- most of the hens only used the end nesting boxes anyway
- it will be well shaded and protected from the elements

I haven't put her in there yet because it was built quite late in the day. Plus the sun rays track different throughout the day and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't end up with a roasted chicken in the end.

Here's hoping this will work. Any additional thoughts appreciated. I'll report back.

 

[hkeibard]

It is good to have a broody if you decide to hatch something else , like duck eggs but in your case it is probably best to cool her off .

I've certainly thought about adding some chicks as a possible broody solution. But I expect I'll be experiencing this again with another hen or two anyway. Plus, I'm still so new at chicken keeping, I want to see if I can survive a year before adding much more to the flock. Even though the pull of chicken math is strong.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Interesting location choice (look at the nests! look at them!) but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Glad you checked for stability. I've heard that in the past, breaking cages were hung, so nothing says it has to be ground level.

 

[hkeibard]

Interesting location choice (look at the nests! look at them!) but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Glad you checked for stability. I've heard that in the past, breaking cages were hung, so nothing says it has to be ground level.

hahahahaha - I never even thought about it from the punishment perspective (look at the nests!) ... but thinking about it now, I just might be ok with that possibility.

I really like this hen (Emmylou). I was thrilled to get a cream legbar with her fancy little crest/mohawk from the mixed batch from the hatchery. And I delight in her independence. She's not at the top of the pecking order, but she doesn't sit around to get bullied either. She's really smart. But her willfulness in this experience has found me more than once rethinking my three decade long commitment to vegetarianism!