Forever a broody hen

[AshG]

My girly Ramona has been broody 3 times in the last year. The last time she was broody (end of May) I gave her day olds on June 2nd. She happily raised them and at about week 5 ish she was done with them and they have intergrated the flock wonderfully. Welp fast forward to a few days ago… she is broody AGAIN!!!! Not only is she broody… but she has somehow coaxed her “chicks” that are now fully feathered and quite large under her. When I went to close the coop, she is in the nest with her 3 large babies tucked under/beside her. These “babies” have been roosting on their own with the flocks for weeks. My question is…. Do I just pretend she is raising teenagers? Do I give her fertilized eggs? What the heck!? And why is she sooo friggin broody all the time!

I attached a photo of Ramona and her “kiddos” as I was very perplexed.

 

[DobieLover]

Some hens really love being mothers. Obviously Ramona is one. As long as she keeps taking her older pullets out with her and continues to 'raise' them, you could just let her be. She won't lay any eggs but she won't try to hatch anymore either.

But if you want her to break her broodiness, set her up in a broody breaker. Because she is so determined, I would leave her in there for at least 5 days and nights before letting her out an hour before roost time to see if she goes to roost. If it is particularly warm where you are, you may need to dunk her belly in cool, not cold, water several times during the day and put her back into her elevated, solid wire broody breaker crate soaking wet. I have found this help speed up the process with a stubborn girl in a heat wave.

 

[AshG]

Some hens really love being mothers. Obviously Ramona is one. As long as she keeps taking her older pullets out with her and continues to 'raise' them, you could just let her be. She won't lay any eggs but she won't try to hatch anymore either.

But if you want her to break her broodiness, set her up in a broody breaker. Because she is so determined, I would leave her in there for at least 5 days and nights before letting her out an hour before roost time to see if she goes to roost. If it is particularly warm where you are, you may need to dunk her belly in cool, not cold, water several times during the day and put her back into her elevated, solid wire broody breaker crate soaking wet. I have found this help speed up the process with a stubborn girl in a heat wave.

She had been laying eggs for at least 2 weeks after raising the 3 that are under her in the photo. I offered to hatch some eggs under her for a friend who wanted more chickens but then was shocked to find the 9 week old pullets under her last night as the days before when she was broody, she stayed in the nest and Sonja, Bethenny and Dorinda have been going out and wandering about on their own for weeks. I had read alot about broody hens in the past when she first went broody but didn’t realize it can happen this soon after and remothering the previously “abandoned” pullets was very perplexing. I say “abandoned” as she was an amazing mother who took to the day olds immediately and protected them fiercely from the flock (and from me! I have battle wounds lol) and let them be off on their own around week 5. I had previously attempted to break her broodiness the first time she went broody and was completely unsuccessful.

 

[16 and me]

She had been laying eggs for at least 2 weeks after raising the 3 that are under her in the photo. I offered to hatch some eggs under her for a friend who wanted more chickens but then was shocked to find the 9 week old pullets under her last night as the days before when she was broody, she stayed in the nest and Sonja, Bethenny and Dorinda have been going out and wandering about on their own for weeks. I had read alot about broody hens in the past when she first went broody but didn’t realize it can happen this soon after and remothering the previously “abandoned” pullets was very perplexing. I say “abandoned” as she was an amazing mother who took to the day olds immediately and protected them fiercely from the flock (and from me! I have battle wounds lol) and let them be off on their own around week 5. I had previously attempted to break her broodiness the first time she went broody and was completely unsuccessful.

She must be quite a mother hen! I have a chronic broody that broods 3-4 times per year. She sits 3 weeks, raises them 5 weeks and usually in about 5 weeks she is broody again. But I've never seen her pullets return to the nest with her. She usually discourages any clingy ones from hanging around her at about the 6-7 week mark. You'll have to keep us posted on how long they hang out with her!