Help me, help my uncommitted broody...

[EmmaEsme]

Hi, I'm down I Melbourne, Australia in the middle of summer. I'm currently raising chicks from eggs I hatched to build my flock, but we have 2 Australorps from last August that we got as POL pullets, one black, Jean and one blue, Storm. (Here's them being normal chookies yesterday in photo.)

When Jean went very broody we let her hatch some eggs. She was opposite of Storm, very broody and stuck to the nest box like glue. It was her first year as a broody. She now has 3 boys that are 9 weeks old and live with her and "Aunty" Storm.

Shortly after they had hatched, Storm went kinda broody... Hot chest, feathers plucked BUT, unlike Jean, it's like she continues trying to lay a clutch, so once you take the egg she laid, she'd leave the box for the day, do normal chook stuff, but was also still going to roost at night... This went on a couple weeks until she started to stick to the nest box a bit more. So, I put her in the broody bin, (a medium wire dog crate) and after 4 days, she stopped.

That was maybe 7 weeks ago. She started again earlier this week, all uncommitted again, same story. I was busy yesterday and didn't take her egg, so she sat it most the day... Last night, she refused to roost and went back to the empty nest box, so into the bin again.

Anyone have a wonky chook like this, with any advice in the best way to deal with them? I hope I don't have to keep binning her over and over until Autumn...
I'd prefer to break her, but how safe is it for her to keep going to the broody bin every few weeks for a few days to a week?
Should I try to get her some day olds to sneak in overnight or something should she do it again?
My broody box setup isn't available atm, as I have 2 week olds under heat in it, so I don't have a safe space for her to sit eggs atm, and I rather she not anyway.
Ta!

 

[-Flash-]

Yeah I have chooks like that. They walk around being grumpy and broody, but never actually go in the nest boxes. Sorry, I don't know how to help with stopping them.

 

[Yardmom]

2 week old chicks would not be good candidates to give a broody hen. If she is not completely broody it is not likely that she would commit to younger chicks either.
With a hen that doesn't seem to be following through I would wait longer, Maybe a week on the nest, before putting her in a new nest. If you are trying to keep her broody you need to leave eggs with her until you do a switch for the eggs you want hatched, but not all domestic hens have the instincts to hatch and raise chicks.

 

[EmmaEsme]

2 week old chicks would not be good candidates to give a broody hen. If she is not completely broody it is not likely that she would commit to younger chicks either.
With a hen that doesn't seem to be following through I would wait longer, Maybe a week on the nest, before putting her in a new nest. If you are trying to keep her broody you need to leave eggs with her until you do a switch for the eggs you want hatched, but not all domestic hens have the instincts to hatch and raise chicks.

Thanks. Jean was a much better broody. I would prefer to break Storm, but I am concerned this is becoming a repeat business. I thought perhaps 2 weeks would be a bit too old and agree, I had the same concern that she may reject day olds, so that's good to have feedback on it. It's my preference to break her, but do you think it's okay to keep binning the same chook every few weeks?

 

[MadamContrary]

I have a Brahma Orpington cross that goes semi broody almost every month. I don't separate her to break her, I just kick her off the nest anytime I catch her in it and try to be extra vigilant about collecting eggs until she gets back to normal. I think it really depends on your bird's temperament. My friend has a silkie hen that she just moistens her belly area as soon as she starts acting broody, if she catches it on the first two days she's over by the third. You can also put some chilled eggs or round plastic "ice cubes" in the box when she gets up to discourage her sitting again.

 

[EmmaEsme]

I have a Brahma Orpington cross that goes semi broody almost every month. I don't separate her to break her, I just kick her off the nest anytime I catch her in it and try to be extra vigilant about collecting eggs until she gets back to normal. I think it really depends on your bird's temperament. My friend has a silkie hen that she just moistens her belly area as soon as she starts acting broody, if she catches it on the first two days she's over by the third. You can also put some chilled eggs or round plastic "ice cubes" in the box when she gets up to discourage her sitting again.

Thank you!!! So many helpful tips!

 

[myluckychucks]

I agree with Madamcontrary. Take her out of the nest when you see her there too long. Pick up eggs quickly. Otherwise leave her to do what she wants, she'll get it sorted eventually. You will go mad trying to manage mother nature.