Help! Broody Hen!

[ChickenTenderz]

I have a Black Australorp hen, she was 1 yr this spring. She is 1 of 3 BA we have plus 3 RIR hens & 3 new RIR that are just now 24 weeks. She's usually a very sweet girl and a good layer. Until about 2 weeks ago, She has gone broody and sits all day on NOTHING! That is unless she gets a chance to steal someone else's egg or even the smooth rock I painted brown to be their fake egg. I have tried pulling her out of the nestbox several times a day but can only do it on the weekends, I've locked her out of the pen so she can't get to the nest and she just paces all day and I want to keep her safe from predators while I'm at work. I even tried giving her an "ice bath" to cool her body temp down some as I read someone suggest on here. (It was really just a cool water soak- no chickens were harmed here)
We don't have a rooster so there is zero chance of her actually hatching any babies....So what can I do to help her snap out of it?
Will she come out of it on her own? Will she just keep sitting if nothing hatches?

 

[Muser]

Sounds like you have 2 options since you seem to have tried all the other methods.

1. Buy hatching eggs and place under her to have chicks.

2. Broody Jail, sounds harsh but not breaking the broodiness is worst for her health overall. Dog crate, with a wooden roosting bar for her to sit on, water and food, and leave her in there for 3 days, let her out, if she runs back to the nesting box, repeat.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Sounds like you have 2 options since you seem to have tried all the other methods.

1. Buy hatching eggs and place under her to have chicks.

2. Broody Jail, sounds harsh but not breaking the broodiness is worst for her health overall. Dog crate, with a wooden roosting bar for her to sit on, water and food, and leave her in there for 3 days, let her out, if she runs back to the nesting box, repeat.

I'll probably try broody jail.
But just curious...where can I get hatching eggs ?

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Ok, I found where I can order days old chicks that would hatch 8/21 & arrive on 8/24. I like this option because I can order all females & control the breed unlike if I were to get some from my friend's chickens.
Could I sneak them under her at night? How long will she stay broody? Just want to make sure they won't arrive too late and then I end up having to raise them in the house.

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

Ok, I found where I can order days old chicks that would hatch 8/21 & arrive on 8/24. I like this option because I can order all females & control the breed unlike if I were to get some from my friend's chickens.
Could I sneak them under her at night? How long will she stay broody? Just want to make sure they won't arrive too late and then I end up having to raise them in the house.

How long has she been broody for?

For the day old chick swap under a broody, I've read you want the hen to actually sit on the nest for at least two weeks give or take, to help her get into the broody egg to broody chick mode. There are times when a broody will not accept chicks until/unless she's sat long enough.

That said, if she's sat long enough you want to place day olds under her at night. With maybe a couple broken shells

 

[Ridgerunner]

But just curious...where can I get hatching eggs ?

Where are you located? What country? That would make it easier to answer that question.

Go to the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum and create an add. Put your location in the title so you might attract the attention of the people you want to see it.

Go to the "Where am I? Where are You!" section of this forum and find your state or country thread. Chat with your neighbors.

Try to find a local "chicken" forum on Facebook or whatever similar you have wherever you are.

Go to your feed store and chat with the people working there. They night know someone or may have a bulletin board where you can post a notice.

I see you just posted again.

Ok, I found where I can order days old chicks that would hatch 8/21 & arrive on 8/24.
Could I sneak them under her at night? How long will she stay broody? Just want to make sure they won't arrive too late and then I end up having to raise them in the house.

You can try. Many hens will accept baby chicks even if they have been broody only a few days. Some will not even if they have been broody three full weeks and hatch the chicks themselves. There is always the chance you'll have to raise them yourself but I'd try it. It sounds like she will be pretty close to the three weeks.

If a hen is truly broody she will normally stay broody for about five weeks if not longer. You are dealing with living animals so you don't get guarantees.

The day that you get them slip them under her at night after it is dark. Use as little light as possible and still stay safe. Then be out there the next morning at daylight to see how it is going. There is no need for broken shells.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have read on here to wait until she has been broody for close to 21 days, and to put them under her at night, as @PrettyBirdRocky said. But have a Plan B ready in case she rejects or attacks them, which means, a brooder of some kind in the house or garage where you can raise them till they are about 3 weeks old, and then a safe place to raise them outside until they are ready to join the flock at about six weeks.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Where are you located? What country? That would make it easier to answer that question.

Go to the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum and create an add. Put your location in the title so you might attract the attention of the people you want to see it.

Go to the "Where am I? Where are You!" section of this forum and find your state or country thread. Chat with your neighbors.

Try to find a local "chicken" forum on Facebook or whatever similar you have wherever you are.

Go to your feed store and chat with the people working there. They night know someone or may have a bulletin board where you can post a notice.

I see you just posted again.


You can try. Many hens will accept baby chicks even if they have been broody only a few days. Some will not even if they have been broody three full weeks and hatch the chicks themselves. There is always the chance you'll have to raise them yourself but I'd try it. It sounds like she will be pretty close to the three weeks.

If a hen is truly broody she will normally stay broody for about five weeks if not longer. You are dealing with living animals so you don't get guarantees.

The day that you get them slip them under her at night after it is dark. Use as little light as possible and still stay safe. Then be out there the next morning at daylight to see how it is going. There is no need for broken shells.

Located in Inman SC US

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have never had luck using hatched chicks even with eggs under a hen but I'm no expert. I would recommend buying fertilized eggs and letting her hatch them or breaking her. Last time I tried to do a chick swap the hen attacked the interlopers and I ended up having two chicks in a brooder in the garage. Poor little babies were so distressed when she started pecking them.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

If I get some fertilized eggs today and put under her, will she stay on them until they hatch? She's been broody about 2 weeks.