Frustration in broody cage

[Hendrika]

I have a bantam wyandotte who has been broody for 4 weeks. I've been trying to break it, by not letting her in the coop and best during the day. It is -2 degrees celsius during the night, so i thought that would be enough. But to no avail, every night she broods on her roost (really).

So today i built a cage where i can keep for hopefully no more than 48 hours.
When i put here in the cage she went ballistic, screaming and flying up the wall. Then she sat down in her waterer. It was really sad to see her so distressed.

Do any of you have experience with such extreme behaviour in the broodycage? Will it pass? How do i know i can release her? If i don't wait long enough, i might have to this again, and that would be sad.

 

[Chookchicken]

I’d let her just be broody. Breaking broodyness can course problems with others chickens, when it courses problems it’s not very pretty. Although I do understand that a chicken being broody for along time can mean less eggs, also less breakfast. She will most likely just end up finding something to sit on especially when she is that determined. If I try to kick my chickens out and stop them from being broody they’ll sit on anything (including each other). It isn’t very good to keep her away from her flock, at least if she is in the nesting box they’ll know she is still there, and still part of their flock. I hope this helps, and I’m sorry if it doesn’t.

 

[aart]

So today i built a cage where i can keep for hopefully no more than 48 hours.
When i put here in the cage she went ballistic, screaming and flying up the wall. Then she sat down in her waterer. It was really sad to see her so distressed.

Do any of you have experience with such extreme behaviour in the broodycage? Will it pass? How do i know i can release her? If i don't wait long enough, i might have to this again, and that would be sad.

Please show us the cage.
Where are you keeping it?

Not unusual for them to go nuts when caged.
She should calm down if you do, hard to do but sometimes you just have to walk away.
It may take quite a while to break her if she's been broody for a month.

I'd keep her in there round the clock for at least 48 hours.
Let her out close to roosting time.
If she goes to roost great, if she goes to the nest put her back in the cage.

 

[Hendrika]

Thanks for your replies.
The broody cage is in the pen, so her sisters are around. They are pretty spooked by their angry sister. She's sally really sweet.
The pen is completely predator proof, so the cage can stay there for as long as needed.
Pancake (that's her name) has been in the cage now for a couple of hours and seems to have calmed down a bit. No more yelling and screaming at me ;-)

 

[aart]

and seems to have calmed down a bit.

Good to hear!
Your set up looks great.
Can she stay there at night too?
Might need more wind/snow blocks.

 

[Cazook]

some cardboard to block the wind might work, if it's not too cold

 

[SulkyBantam]

Good set up... If she's still really distressed I'd leave her broody, depends how much you value her egg production. She may calm down though...

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Good set up... If she's still really distressed I'd leave her broody, depends how much you value her egg production. She may calm down though...

Leaving her broody won't help egg production.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Leaving her broody won't help egg production.

Yes I know, that is what I meant. If you value her egg production a lot, keep trying to break her.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes I know, that is what I meant. If you value her egg production a lot, keep trying to break her.

Ah, okay I got that