Help with Broody Bantam

[artnerd]

Hi all!

I own three bantams, and two have gone broody and I don't know what to do. I have tried the dunking in cold water, I have tried locking them out of the coop/nests, I have tried everything. I briefly tried the wire cage method, but because they freak out and make a lot of noise that my neighbors don't appreciate I had to quit it. I remove them from the nest box two times a day so they can eat, drink, poop, exercise, etc., and for the most part they are okay with that. They have both been broody for about a month and a half - will they stay broody forever? Hatching chicks is not an option. My only option is to wait it out, but how long will that take?

Basically, I remove them from the nest about 9am each day, and lock them out until about 1 or 2. Then I remove them again at 4 or 5, and put them back in around 6pm for the night. This has been going on for 6 weeks or so. I am so tired of doing this, but I love them and want them to be healthy.

I guess my question is this; If I wait it out, how long will it take for them to go back to normal? Any advice?

 

[Pinky]

Keep moving them off their nest. My broodies don't like me to touch them and after a week or so they get the hint and go back to normal. I think breaking their broodiness is temporary because 2 of mine I got back to normal just decided to brood again

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
some will not break, but the best way is, a wire cage off the floor, with no shaving/straw or hay, gennarally for every day your bird is broody it will take 2 days to break. example 3 days broody 6 days to break, just tossing your bird off the nest will not work, but at this time of the year even a broke broody can return to brood easily.