First broody hen

[hgarrett]

I have 7 black Australorp hens, 3 started laying this month, 1 is broody now. I have gotten 3 eggs several times now. I noticed one hen in the nesting box, I scared her out by opening the hatch, a few times and just assumed I interrupted her laying. Today, I went to collect and she refused to get out of the box and was squawking at me, clearly not happy. I started cleaning the other 2 boxes and she hopped out, mad. She’d been sitting on 2 eggs. I knew I had 3 layers, so I check several times a day. On my next check, the 3rd egg was in the box broken. The broody hen is definitely grouchy and mad but out now.
Is there anything I should do? Is ok to just keep collecting eggs? I don’t want to have broken eggs all the time.
**Edit to add and clarify: I do not have a rooster. Should I do anything in addition to collecting eggs to deter the broodiness, or will collecting suffice?**

 

[red horse ranch]

Do you have a rooster with them? If the eggs are not fertile there is no point in letting her set. Just keep taking the eggs.

 

[red horse ranch]

It doesn't hurt to take the eggs. Are they even fertile?

 

[hgarrett]

It doesn't hurt to take the eggs. Are they even fertile?

No, not rooster. I should clarify! I should have asked is there anything I should do in addition to collecting the eggs. So far that’s all I’ve done to deter her. I’m going to continue collecting as usual!

 

[Yardmom]

It depends on the bird. Some hens will stop being broody if they don't have any eggs to sit on. Some will break when they don't have access to their nest sight. Others need a broody breaking cage. Wire bottom cage for a few days or until they do not go back to the nest.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It sounds like you have no intention of hatching or giving her chicks? If so, I recommend breaking her in a broody breaker: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[aart]

Yes, the crate breaking works best and fastest....but.....
I have broken broodish but newly laying pullets by collecting eggs frequently and tossing them out of the nest(and into the run) many times a day.

First make sure she actually broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

​

 

[hgarrett]

It sounds like you have no intention of hatching or giving her chicks? If so, I recommend breaking her in a broody breaker: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

We don’t have a rooster! We have a small coop run area that I think is great for the ladies now, but adding anymore would be too much. Expanding would take up too much room and we have 3 boys! Thank you for the link!

 

[hgarrett]

Yes, the crate breaking works best and fastest....but.....
I have broken broodish but newly laying pullets by collecting eggs frequently and tossing them out of the nest(and into the run) many times a day.

First make sure she actually broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

​

I’ll observe today closer! She wiggled around to the other nesting pads and refused to leave the area for most of yesterday, but not flattening out when out of the nesting area.. Toward the end of the day she spent her time out, definitely ticking time bomb sounds! I was worried my neighbors would complain! So far today, I’ve collected an egg, not in the nesting box and she’s not spending her time in the coop!
I’ll look for true signs of broodiness and go from there. Thank you!