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

[VeryHappyHens]

So I've spent a lot of time this week reading through all the Broody Hen posts and have learned a lot! Thanks to all who shared their knowledge. I'm adding to the discussion with just one question about my broody girl....once isolated in Broody Jail with food and water, how do you know when she's done with her broody cycle?

Our 13 girls, mixed breeds, are a little over 10 months and are all reliable, almost daily egg layers. They are pets and many will jump up on my lap for pets and waddle strokes. Our flock consists of 1 RIR, 1 "production red," 3 mixed (CA) white leghorns, 2 EEs, 3 golden sexlinks, and 3 Isa browns. One of the white leghorns, little Foggy, was the first in our flock to lay, right on time at 20 weeks - a beautiful light beige perfect egg. She has not seemed dominant and is a bit shy about grabbing for treats when I hand them out. Not aggressive but not overly friendly toward me ( as some are very friendly).

Little miss Foggy got bit by the broody bug recently. Again, no rooster or chicks in sight. Saw a few signs of it when she'd stay in her favorite nest box for a few hours at a time and left fluffy feathers in there. Opened the door to collect eggs and she'd trill at me, kind of hiss, fluff herself out to 3 x her normal size, and tell me to get the heck out. Now. Then caught her sleeping in it at night. Now she's full blown, big fluffed out Tom Turkey, loudly squawking and obsessed with nesting. Pulled her out of the nesting box and walked her over to the run for treat time this morning. She was mad, but at least ate a little, sauntered around and after about 5 minutes of the low growly mumbles, she made her way back up the ramp to her safe place.

Today we got a smaller dog crate, set it up with cardboard on top, hardware cloth on bottom, and a 1 x 2 roost, plus food and water in bowls. It's in the coop, since that's the only place that makes sense. When we put her in, she was none too pleased. She protested loudly and made noises I never knew a hen could make. We have a baby monitor type camera in the coop so we can see that she's been pacing, tossing over the food and water bowls (which we just upgraded with food storage bowls glued to a board so she can't toss), sticking her head through the bars (Jailbreak!?!??) and begging her friends to bust her outta that joint.

I have to admit I was pleased to see about 4-5 of her flock buddies check in on her. Fortunately I don't think they read the instructions on opening the crate door. Also, before I invited (pulled) her out of the chosen nesting box, one of the EEs had wedged herself in the box with her, and I think she laid her egg at that time! Hope she's not thinking of going broody too.

Current status of the Jail Bird: in jail, same rebellious ornery attitude, has a new water/food contraption that she can't kick or knock over (we'll see) and is serving her time.

So.....to all those who've been through this a million (it must seem) times, how do you know when she's fully served her sentence and is no longer a menace to flock society? JK, she's just a good girl gone broody.


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Let her be broody its a bit rare to see leghorns go broody just keep her and buy some baby chicks and trade fake eggs or ball for baby chicks.

 

[mamajos]

I took her out of her cage today, she ran out the coop and into the pen. Stayed there all day hanging out with the others! No time bomb ticking, not nest box! I think it worked! Congrats on your girl!

 

[rosemarythyme]

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.

 

[rosemarythyme]

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.

After going broody, they will generally take about 2 weeks off before resuming laying. Occasionally you may have a bird take longer off, like the rest of the laying season, but that would be unlikely with a broody in spring/early summer.

 

[Mamatomany123]

After going broody, they will generally take about 2 weeks off before resuming laying. Occasionally you may have a bird take longer off, like the rest of the laying season, but that would be unlikely with a broody in spring/early summer.

I was told this also. My girl was broody for 5 days. Just wouldnt break. She finally did and laid 2 days later. still isnt broody again(this happened around a week ago) and is still laying.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was told this also. My girl was broody for 5 days. Just wouldnt break. She finally did and laid 2 days later. still isnt broody again(this happened around a week ago) and is still laying.

Hence "generally" - the reality is it can be all over the place. I just broke a broody and she laid a very small egg inside the crate on day 3, but hasn't laid since. Last year, I broke a different broody in July, and she didn't lay again until this year.

 

[kcan2]

Congrats on a successful break! Although she did look very pretty sitting in her jail, I'm sure you're relieved that she is back to normal. I thought it was funny that you also stand guard for hawks, I thought I was the only one who supervises chicken recess!

After being broody, my bantam girl takes about 10 days to resume with egg laying.

After just 1 day out of jail, my overly-enthuiastic rooster made her a nice nest in the nestbox, but for now she's about as interested in the nestbox as she is in his wing-drop dancing skills.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Only had Isa Browns go broody so far, so just letted em do what they want, last one would sit under the tree with her eggs so just let her, sometimes moved her up off it to get some water and food, then shed go back an sit under the tree. At night, some nights just let her sit out under the tree, wasn't raining then other nights put her in coop. After a while she was done and stopped looking like a fluff ball all on her own.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I took her out of her cage today, she ran out the coop and into the pen. Stayed there all day hanging out with the others! No time bomb ticking, not nest box! I think it worked! Congrats on your girl!

Congrats on your formerly broody girl too!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Congrats on a successful break! Although she did look very pretty sitting in her jail, I'm sure you're relieved that she is back to normal. I thought it was funny that you also stand guard for hawks, I thought I was the only one who supervises chicken recess!

After being broody, my bantam girl takes about 10 days to resume with egg laying.

After just 1 day out of jail, my overly-enthuiastic rooster made her a nice nest in the nestbox, but for now she's about as interested in the nestbox as she is in his wing-drop dancing skills.

They are hilarious aren't they?