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

[CrazyTownChick]

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.

Thanks for the input. Our situation is a little different. No free range, many predators, closed coop at night, she would have stayed in the nesting box not eating or drinking indefinitely if we didn't break the broody spell. good luck with yours! I didnt want my Isa Browns to get any "ideas" from her.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

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.

Thanks for the response. We're not prepared to expand with baby chicks right now. Future? Probably, not now.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

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.

Interesting...your mileage may (will) vary. Thanks!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

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.

Wow, thanks for that insight. I would have probably worried if she goes for several months without laying. So whenever she lays, she lays, it's up to her.

 

[jeannedeaux]

I’ve had hens are broody that I didn’t want to hatch eggs and tried various methods over the years. Recently however, after one hen hatched six eggs, another immediately went broody and a friend told me that she never uses the jail method. She just lets the hen sit it out and eventually get over it. I had always thought it would be much more drawn out and they could get quite depleted from not eating but I tried it and found it takes no longer than using the jail and she’s with the rest of the flock the entire time. They may squawk at her if she’s in their favorite nest, but by the time two weeks are up, eggs appear again and all is well. Seems much more humane and certainly much easier. Good luck.

 

[FreeMamaG]

I’ve had hens are broody that I didn’t want to hatch eggs and tried various methods over the years. Recently however, after one hen hatched six eggs, another immediately went broody and a friend told me that she never uses the jail method. She just lets the hen sit it out and eventually get over it. I had always thought it would be much more drawn out and they could get quite depleted from not eating but I tried it and found it takes no longer than using the jail and she’s with the rest of the flock the entire time. They may squawk at her if she’s in their favorite nest, but by the time two weeks are up, eggs appear again and all is well. Seems much more humane and certainly much easier. Good luck.

This is the philosophy we have. My first layer, Big Mama, just went broody and she has plucked her poor sweet belly. I make sure to get her up and out of her box several times a day to get exercise and eat. She hangs out with the other gals for a bit and heads back to her box. She still tries to sleep in her box at night but I just put her on a perch with the others and she cozies up to them. I had bought 6 chicks for her but she wasn't interested at all, so now I have 6 chicks


Big Mama is so sweet and I know she will be back to normal pretty soon.

 

[TheFarm41]

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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Broodys can certainly cause an upheaval in the nesting boxes. I say get the poor girl a couple of fertilized eggs and let her set. That is the fastest way to the finish line, plus you will get a few chicks out of it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She just lets the hen sit it out and eventually get over it. I had always thought it would be much more drawn out and they could get quite depleted from not eating but I tried it and found it takes no longer than using the jail and she’s with the rest of the flock the entire time.

Broody jail takes an average of 2-3 days if done promptly and adhered to strictly, I can't imagine there's any scenario where you let them set and it takes less time than that.

 

[Tashua]

This is what I had happen recently ; same breed as yours all the same mannerisms. I gave her a decoy egg and let her sit for a week ( kicking her out to free range with the others daily ) Also had other hens squeeze in and give her an egg , which I promptly gathered up as well as all in the other boxes . I took away her egg & spent one of my days off removing her from the box every time she would go sit again without anything in it . That seemed to work she went to the roost that same night & has gone back to her regular behaviors . It’s been about a week now with no issues .

 

[Vicker]

My broody rehab center is separate from the coop. The hens aren't away from the flock long enough to worry about reintegration. I think the longest spell was 5 days--had a really bad case.