Get Out of That Nestbox!

[3KillerBs]

Cordon, my #1 Blue Australorp, seems to be considering going broody. I've just booted her feathery backside out of the nestbox for the third time this week and I suspect I'll find her there when I go to shut them up after dark too.

Very inconvenient timing since they'll be moving to their new coop within a month or so. If we were all established I'd be happy to have a broody and would try to source some eggs for her to incubate.

Hens don't consult our calendars though.

I am planning on building a broody jail in the new coop but haven't a safe place to set one up in this space so I'll just have to keep shoving her out of the nest and see what happens as time passes.

 

[DobieLover]

Cordon, my #1 Blue Australorp, seems to be considering going broody. I've just booted her feathery backside out of the nestbox for the third time this week and I suspect I'll find her there when I go to shut them up after dark too.

Very inconvenient timing since they'll be moving to their new coop within a month or so. If we were all established I'd be happy to have a broody and would try to source some eggs for her to incubate.

Hens don't consult our calendars though.

I am planning on building a broody jail in the new coop but haven't a safe place to set one up in this space so I'll just have to keep shoving her out of the nest and see what happens as time passes.

If it's not too cold where you are, dunk her in a bath of cool water and slosh her around in it to thoroughly wet her belly. It really pisses them off but it may help if jail is not an option at this time.

I'm pretty sure this is where the phrase "madder than a wet hen" came from.

 

[neo71665]

I know some people don't like it and claim it doesn't work but i watched my granny break many broody hens with water. During the warmer months she would add ice to the water and it seemed to work better.

 

[3KillerBs]

At the moment she's not seriously broody -- just testing out the idea -- but I'll keep that idea in mind in case I need to try it.

 

[3KillerBs]

So I just shut them up for the night. I pushed Cordon out of the nestbox then went around to the access door, picked my grumbling hen off the floor, and stuck her on the roost.

 

[3KillerBs]

She's in the box again this morning and I can't throw her out because I'm already in my work clothes.

Oh well. I'll cope with whatever happens once I'm sure it's happening.

 

[3KillerBs]

Booted her out of the box again last night. Then pulled her out again just now.

She stood there making that ticking noise, but didn't go full "fluffy, screeching pancake" and eventually walked over to the feeder for a snack so not entirely committed yet.

Oh well, I'll keep sticking her on the roost at night, but given the houses I'll be working these next couple weeks and the lack of a safe place for a broody jail until the new coop is finished, I'll probably have a full-fledged broody on my hands by the time I have time/facilities to do anything about it.

We will see.

Broody butt in the box -- DH opened up for me and said she was already there once it was light in the morning.

Standing there ticking.

 

[DobieLover]

Booted her out of the box again last night. Then pulled her out again just now.

She stood there making that ticking noise, but didn't go full "fluffy, screeching pancake" and eventually walked over to the feeder for a snack so not entirely committed yet.

Oh well, I'll keep sticking her on the roost at night, but given the houses I'll be working these next couple weeks and the lack of a safe place for a broody jail until the new coop is finished, I'll probably have a full-fledged broody on my hands by the time I have time/facilities to do anything about it.

We will see.

View attachment 2622866

Broody butt in the box -- DH opened up for me and said she was already there once it was light in the morning.

View attachment 2622867

Standing there ticking.

She's full broody.
Just because she went and got something to eat does not mean she's not full broody. They still eat every day.
I would lock her up in an elevated crate in your garage or the house for a few days. The environmental change may very well snap her out of it.

 

[3KillerBs]

She's full broody.
Just because she went and got something to eat does not mean she's not full broody. They still eat every day.
I would lock her up in an elevated crate in your garage or the house for a few days. The environmental change may very well snap her out of it.

I don't have the ability to do that yet.

A broody buster is part of the new coop design, but I'm not stopping the construction of that coop for DH to do that right now. Since a hailstorm destroyed the picnic fly that was sheltering part of the open run now I can't use a wire dog crate because she'd be exposed to the weather and I have no ventilated sheds.

I may get some eggs for her and move the others to the new coop when it's ready, leaving her in the nest -- since I'd intended to use the Little Monitor Coop as a broody facility eventually anyway.

If she'd have waited just 6 weeks!

 

[DobieLover]

I don't have the ability to do that yet.

A broody buster is part of the new coop design, but I'm not stopping the construction of that coop for DH to do that right now. Since a hailstorm destroyed the picnic fly that was sheltering part of the open run now I can't use a wire dog crate because she'd be exposed to the weather and I have no ventilated sheds.

I may get some eggs for her and move the others to the new coop when it's ready, leaving her in the nest -- since I'd intended to use the Little Monitor Coop as a broody facility eventually anyway.

If she'd have waited just 6 weeks!

There is always the house. I would set up a space somewhere in the house. As I wrote, the change of environment in the house for a bit might snap her out of it. She needs to be broken and can't wait 6 weeks.
I'd set up the crate in the bathroom, spare room, where ever you have enough space for the crate. Leave a radio playing, the TV. Lot's of distraction to get her mind off brooding.