Help !! how do we stop them all going broody?

[Vixchooks]

Hi to all we are newbies from New Zealand and have 6 deligtful chooks aged around 12 to 18 months they have mostly all been laying well in the past few weeks but now we find first one has gone broody and others are following?, we have no rooster and don't want to breed as we have size restrictions and just couldn't get rid of boy chics so any ideas how we could stop this trend in our coop would be much appreciated. The girls have 4 nest boxes and a good size run but the free range daily in the yard, unless they campout in the nest, we push them out and have tried ice in nest? its spring here will they get over it? any feedback would be great.

 

[sumi]

Broodiness can be wonderful or a pain, hey? I usually cave in and give my hens eggs to hatch, but I hear if you put them in a raised wire they cannot maintain their elevated body temperature and will therefore give up and stop being broody. 1-3 days should do the trick. Give them some food and water and let them sleep in there as well. Good luck!

 

[Aroz26]

@Vixchooks, I am also from NZ and having the same problem with one of my girls. It must be the spring weather making them go silly on us. I have just tried the wire bottom cage today. I was told it would take a week but 1-3 days sounds a lot better

I would recommend trying it too as my hen has been broody for well over a week and even cold baths didn't stop her!