Help! Broody Hen!

[Ridgerunner]

Do you put the dog crate inside the run so they can all see each other or is it separate away from the coop and run?

My broody buster is inside the coop so they can see each other, plus it is predator safe. My run is only predator resistant. The idea is to keep them off of the nest, nor separated from the flock. I have no problems with integration after they come out of the broody buster.

 

[Bawkbok]

My broody buster is inside the coop so they can see each other, plus it is predator safe. My run is only predator resistant. The idea is to keep them off of the nest, nor separated from the flock. I have no problems with integration after they come out of the broody buster.

Thank you.
After reading the thread I'm a little confused. Does the hen go broody for weeks before laying an egg or just after? Or both? If before, how will I know if she's broody or trying to lay an egg? Does that make sense? Ours are around 20 weeks and small, so no eggs yet. Just trying to prepare myself for what to expect. Thank you.

 

[aart]

th? If before, how will I know if she's broody or trying to lay an egg?

This is my go-to in determining if a hen is broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

....and how I break them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[Bawkbok]

This is my go-to in determining if a hen is broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

....and how I break them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

Thank you so much for this, aart, it is extremely helpful.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can have exceptions but the usual sequence when one goes broody is that she lays eggs for a while, sometimes for weeks, sometimes months. Many never go broody no matter how many eggs she lays. Some don't go broody their first laying season but will their second. I'll repeat for emphasis, many never go broody regardless of breed or eggs laid.

As I said, there are exceptions. Some people on this forum have said their pullets went broody at a very young age, even when they had first started laying. This is extremely rare. It is not normal but with living animals you can never say never.

At some point the hormones that make her broody kick in. She stops laying and stays on the nest most of the day and all night. They store up extra fat before they go broody. That fat is what they mostly live off of so they can stay on the nest taking care of the eggs instead of having to go out looking for food and water.

My test of whether a hen is truly broody is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest. One night is not enough, it has to be two consecutive nights. What she does during the day is not definitive. There are several signs that she might possibly be going broody but those are just possibilities. For me it has to be two consecutive nights for her to deserve eggs to hatch.

Just trying to prepare myself for what to expect.

What I expect is that a lot of hens will never go broody. Ever. A few might go broody fairly late in their first year of laying but most that do eventually go broody wait until their second year or later.

What breeds do you have? Some breeds are likely to never go broody, though there can be an exception. Some breeds seem to go broody often, but that does not mean every hen of that breed ever will. Still if we know what breeds you have we can help you with what might possibly happen.

 

[Muser]

I have a question about method #2 as I have a BA and a Buff Orpington - new to me for the first time - which I've read go broody often. We are limited to a small number of hens where we live so option #1 is not an option as we'd be over the legal limit.

Do you put the dog crate inside the run so they can all see each other or is it separate away from the coop and run?

Doesn't separating a hen create re-integration issues with the others after 3 days?

I'm new to chickens so I'm following this thread as I anticipate having a similar problem.

ChickenTenderz - let me know how it goes if you choose #2.
Thank you all.

Yep, in the coop with the others so they can see her but she cant get out. Don't allow for a place for the broody to sit as if on eggs. A perch will allow her to be comfortable but not too comfortable the wire bottom of the dog crate helps her to not be too settled and it allows for an air flow so this will literally cool off the hormones to break the brooding

 

[Muser]

You can have exceptions but the usual sequence when one goes broody is that she lays eggs for a while, sometimes for weeks, sometimes months. Many never go broody no matter how many eggs she lays. Some don't go broody their first laying season but will their second. I'll repeat for emphasis, many never go broody regardless of breed or eggs laid.

As I said, there are exceptions. Some people on this forum have said their pullets went broody at a very young age, even when they had first started laying. This is extremely rare. It is not normal but with living animals you can never say never.

At some point the hormones that make her broody kick in. She stops laying and stays on the nest most of the day and all night. They store up extra fat before they go broody. That fat is what they mostly live off of so they can stay on the nest taking care of the eggs instead of having to go out looking for food and water.

My test of whether a hen is truly broody is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest. One night is not enough, it has to be two consecutive nights. What she does during the day is not definitive. There are several signs that she might possibly be going broody but those are just possibilities. For me it has to be two consecutive nights for her to deserve eggs to hatch.


What I expect is that a lot of hens will never go broody. Ever. A few might go broody fairly late in their first year of laying but most that do eventually go broody wait until their second year or later.

What breeds do you have? Some breeds are likely to never go broody, though there can be an exception. Some breeds seem to go broody often, but that does not mean every hen of that breed ever will. Still if we know what breeds you have we can help you with what might possibly happen.

Yeah, mine went broody at 17 weeks old. Pretty mad but she's been a great mother. We look like we have a few more hens out of her clutch so we will be popping her in broody jail if she decides to again after this lot. At least for a while! No more babies! Chicken math from broodies without my input lol!

 

[Bawkbok]

Thanks to all for the insight. We have a Buff Orpington and a Black Australorp, both between 15-20 weeks old. I don't know their exact age. Even though I asked the hatchery for the hatch date, that's the age range I received so I don't know if they don't keep specific date records. I've read the BOs tend to go broody. We also have a 6 month old Red Sex Link Golden Comet; she has yet to lay an egg.

I would love to experiment with the chicks, but in the city, small yard, and so inexperienced, we're not equipped or ready to manage chicks. Not to mention all that I read here about issues with baby chicks.

When I researched the best breeds for our situation, I knew there was a probability she could be broody, but I'm willing to take my chances as I'm willing to learn how to manage various situations; that's why I'm asking the questions now. It was their personality and dispositions that are more important living under the breath of people so close (these girls are quiet, docile, no drama).

Thank you for your expertise and sharing your experience.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you put the dog crate inside the run so they can all see each other or is it separate away from the coop and run?

That's optimal so the bird is never out of sight of the flock, though occasionally folks have had super stubborn broodies where maybe a change of location is needed to break them. But that's a fairly rare scenario.

Doesn't separating a hen create re-integration issues with the others after 3 days?

A broody's hormones (which in turn affect her behavior) might cause the flock to treat her oddly, or vice versa, but as long as she's remained in sight of the others that shouldn't cause more than some minor skirmishes. I've had sick birds caged up to 6 weeks inside the run, and been able to simply turn them out and they rejoin the flock with almost no fuss.

 

[Bawkbok]

That's optimal so the bird is never out of sight of the flock, though occasionally folks have had super stubborn broodies where maybe a change of location is needed to break them. But that's a fairly rare scenario.

A broody's hormones (which in turn affect her behavior) might cause the flock to treat her oddly, or vice versa, but as long as she's remained in sight of the others that shouldn't cause more than some minor skirmishes. I've had sick birds caged up to 6 weeks inside the run, and been able to simply turn them out and they rejoin the flock with almost no fuss.

Thanks for your help.
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