Hard Core Broody/Breaking the Broody hen

[Jamandack]

I have a broody hen (she turned broody about the second week in Sept). No roo's, so I got a few fertilized eggs from a friend. None were successful. Now it's time to make her loose the broody-ness so she can put some weight back on before winter. We've been searching any local ads for day old chicks to let her mother them but no success. We put her in a wire dog kennel (with a plastic pan in the bottom) today with some food and water. She just paces back and forth frantically trying to find a hole that she can escape from because she can see her coop from the kennel. I'm worried that she'll continue to do this until she hurts herself- several times she acted as though she was going to jump to try to escape.
What should we do? Should we cover the kennel with a tarp on the top and two sides? How will she stay warm enough now that it's fall? (Can you tell that I'm slightly worried about this sad process???) Thanks for the help...

 

[Kelsie2290]

She may pace and fret and complain for a few days, but she should calm down. Are you worried she will get caught in the wire, or how would she hurt herself in the cage? I usually try to leave the crate with the broody I am trying to break in the coop/barn in a high traffic area to keep them disturbed. But if she is being too wild, covering the cage should calm her down.
Alternatively, If she was nesting in the coop, can you shut down the box she was using, or will she switch boxes?
If she is thin and or molting and you are trying to get her back into better condition, if you usually feed her the standard Layer 16% diet, I would be adding protein to her diet, probably the easiest thing to do is just put her on chick starter.
For chicks, have you considered having some shipped? There maybe somebody on the BYC sales board near you.

 

[Jamandack]

Thank you for the reply! I actually just found a few day old chicks!!! I get to pick them up tomorrow so I just put her back into the coop on her nest!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Glad to hear you found some chicks for her, that should make her happy tomorrow night!