Help! I think Petunia has gone broody.

[gardenergirl]

My 5 month old BR/Cochin mix bantam has been laying regularly for a month. The past 3 days, she stays in the nest box, collects the other 2 layers eggs and sits on them. She lets me take the eggs and lets me pick her up.

I live in the Chicagoland area and do not want any little frozen baby chicks so I will continue to take the eggs.

My question is, will she give up, or just stay in the empty nest box all the time. She has stopped roosting at night and sleeps in there too.

I only have 5 chickens and don't have any space to separate her from nest box access.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[The Chicken People]

Take her out and put her in a wire cage with food and water but no bedding for a couple days and it will break her broodiness!

 

[GrandmaCluck]

This happened to me too. I put her in a dog crate - no nesting material. Had her inside the coop at night (in the dog crate) and moved her outside during the day - still in the dog crate - gave her food and water - and by the 4th day she was herself again. It's amazing how well this works. Good luck!

 

[gardenergirl]

But will she go broody again in the spring when I would like some chicks? And, I have such a small coop, I don't have room to put a separate cage.