First time with a broody hen...HELP!!

[nakitaj11]

First time with a broodie hen. New to having chickens. We do not have a rooster, so there is no need to incubate any eggs. I have 2 stages of layers. 5 of the hens have been laying for about 4 months now, any I have 4 more that are about to, or have just started laying. Over the past week or so one of the older hens has been sitting on all of the eggs, and seems to kick the newer laying hens out of the coop. This results in a random egg being laid in the run. I have been able to shoo the broodie hen out of the nest boxes the past couple of days (not sure if I should do that or not), but today she would not have it. Now over the last few days an additional sister hen of hers is also sitting in the next box with her. I am generally able to get her out after a couple of tries but not the original hen. I am not sure what to do, but I also do not want the other hens laying eggs in the run where they could get broken and then turn my flock into egg-eaters. I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you!!

A side note - we were given a very user-unfriendly coop and are in the process of building a new one where the nest boxes will be better separated from the general coop area. Hopefully that will help.

 

[duluthralphie]

A new coop won’t help.

When a hen decides to go broody and claims a nest, it’s hers...

No matter where it is.

Put the broody hen in a bare wire cage off The ground with nothing to make a nest out of. It seems cruel, but it could break her. Also spray some cool water on her or give her cold water baths.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Yup that Northie @duluthralphie is absolutely correct cool that hen down! I've had good luck with holding them in a bucket of cool water for 3-5 minutes. I may have to do it 2-3 times, but it works.

 

[NatJ]

I am not sure what to do, but I also do not want the other hens laying eggs in the run where they could get broken and then turn my flock into egg-eaters. I would greatly appreciate any advice.

You could put nestboxes in the run, to keep eggs a bit safer. Cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, plastic containers, buckets turned on their side--anything handy to provide a place for the eggs to not get stepped on.

Or you can move the broody. Whether you want her to sit or to stop sitting, it's usually best to take her out of the nestbox the other hens use.

To "break" the broody (make her stop sitting), common advice is to put her in a coop or crate that has a wire floor and is hanging or propped up on something (so there's air moving under the wire floor.) She should have food and water, and you can give her a roost if you want. But no nest, no bedding, no solid floor. She will probably pace unhappily back and forth trying to get back to the nest, but in a few days should be back to normal. (2-4 days is a common amount of time.) Let her out once a day to check progress--if she runs to the nest, put her back in the cage. If she stays out of the nest and acts normal, she can stay out of the cage.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yup that Northie @duluthralphie is absolutely correct cool that hen down! I've had good luck with holding them in a bucket of cool water for 3-5 minutes. I may have to do it 2-3 times, but it works.

I am always correct, Southie!! Never forget that...

 

[nakitaj11]

A new coop won’t help.

When a hen decides to go broody and claims a nest, it’s hers...

No matter where it is.

Put the broody hen in a bare wire cage off The ground with nothing to make a nest out of. It seems cruel, but it could break her. Also spray some cool water on her or give her cold water baths.

Thank you! Just to clarify, we aren't building a new coop just bc of the broody hen. LOL

 

[nakitaj11]

Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate the advice! I love this site!

 

[aart]

Might not need to wet her, and I wouldn't unless it's really hot where you are.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

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 on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.