Good girl gone broody - how do I know when she's done?

[CrazyTownChick]

Check for that broody cluck cluck cluck. Once that stops you can try letting her out. If she goes straight to the box then back into jail she goes. Mine had to be in the cage for 72hrs. She was pissed. Throwing her food and water everywhere. Screaming at me. But she broke and is now roosting again.

Yep, the low cluck, cluck, cluck has to be an indicator. Different than all the other noises they make - and there are many. Thanks!!

 

[mamajos]

I’m glad to read your thread! I’m going through the same thing at the moment, and I’m learning along with you!

 

[aart]

I keep them in for at least 48 hours, then let them out an hour before roost time.
If they go to a nest, back in the crate.....if they go to roost, they're usually done.

 

[cmom]

Good advice. I have done the same thing. I have a couple of birds that are broody now. When I collect eggs in the evenings I make them get out of the nest boxes. Sometimes they don't like it but I'm the queen of the flocks. Eventually when I go out and collect the eggs and they see me they will hop out of the nest boxes because they know I will make them get out. Good luck...

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Thanks for all the great replies and information! Being a new chicken owner (July of last year) I never knew this was a "thing." Much less that it could become a problem for the broody hen. With 13 girls, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it. So much to learn about raising chickens - who knew? They are a joy though and we are blessed. We give away our eggs to neighbors, friends, and at a local food bank every week, which is also a joy/blessing.

 

[kcan2]

Mine takes about 3 days to break, and the "jail" is raised up off the ground to allow air flow so she can cool off. I put a few pieces of wood through the wires so she can hop up to roost.

Sometimes I put my rooster in jail with her for a few hours so she has a friend. He doesn't seem to mind They are funny!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Yep, we raised our jail up off the coop floor so the air can circulate. Have a window open now too so she doesn't get too cozy. She seems slightly better today, is eating, drinking and pooping so at least she's not a broody zombie at the moment. Going to wait the full 48 to 72 hours though. Note the turkey tail display and the fluffed out body. She's about half that size normally.

 

[cmom]

They do like to fluff out when broody.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Well I hope we're not premature in our optimism, but it's been just over 48 hours and she seems to have pulled out of the broodiness. After checking on her multiple times in broody jail over the weekend, and this morning there was very little of the grumbly cluck-cluck-cluck today. By afternoon she wasn't even fluffing up, and was making normal sounds when I changed her food and water.

So later in the afternoon since it was a beautiful day, 70 degrees and SUN, I decided to take the girls out in our electric fenced "free ranging" area around the coop, run, west wing (extra run space - 12 x 20) and chunnel. Yes, they have quite the chickie complex. We take them out several times a week to graze and free range but always supervised because the hungry hawks are always watching and flying over head. We stand there with a mucking rake and broom, waving it and looking directly at any hawk that ventures near. There's 2 of us and one of them.

After about 20 minutes I said to my husband, "I think I'll bring Foggy out to enjoy the sunshine with the flock." He said "go for it." So I did. No puffing, no clucking, no resistance, she seemed very happy to be outside with her peeps.

When we herded them in (drunk sailor walk and coaxing) she did her normal flock stuff and hung out with her crew. We watched, and she did a dirt bath but didn't try to nest. Did NOT make a beeline for the nesting boxes - whew, that was a relief.
So we've been watching her closely since and she has not even gone into a nesting box yet. Acting like regular sweet little Foggy. She's roosting with the other girls now that the coop door is closed.

Should we expect her to lay an egg tomorrow or take another day off? If she does lay, we'll watch carefully to make sure she gets right off the nest and is not brooding again. I think we'll keep the 4 windows open all day again to keep the breeze cooling everyone off.

We know it will likely happen again, her or another hen, but I think we'll be better able to respond the right way quickly. Thank you all for the great advice and support! YOU are the best peeps!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

@mamajos how's your broody girl doing?