Help with broody hens

[Bravo]

I have 2 BA's that are the broodiest chickens I've ever met. They go broody every 2 months like clockwork and when one starts, the other quickly follows. I've allowed them to brood clutches and raise chicks and they were excellent mothers. When the babies were about 6 weeks old they "weaned" them, laid for about a week and then went RIGHT back to being broody again. The problem is that now when they go broody, they cause the majority of my 7 hen/pullet flock to follow suit too. Right now I have 5 broody hens and 2 of them are 6 month old BCM pullets. I guess broody hormones are pretty contagious.

These girls are part of my backyard egg laying flock so I do need a few hens laying LOL.

My questions are:

A) Is there anything I can do to prevent them from going broody so frequently? (I do not leave eggs in the nesting boxes)

and

B) Is there a market for broody hens?

They are great mothers and BIG, WIDE girls for incubating but I prefer to use the incubator and hand-raise chicks. If there was a market for them I wouldn't mind selling them and replacing them with hens that were less broody.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bravo]

There have gotta be some tips/tricks or some advice. Please!

 

[ScotianChick]

Mine are free range girls and I have one that went broody like 5 times this year! It was insane and it was not cute like some people on this forum think. My broody hen = a gremlin that has giant smelly poops and hates everything, even my golden retriever who has never touched them.

But I dealt with two recently and where mine are 100% free range all the time, I locked the coop once I had all the eggs accounted for. I didn't open it again until dusk. If they jumped on the nest instead of the roost they were kicked out unless I didn't catch them until later, then I put them on the roost for sleeping. If they were on the nest in the morning they received a cold dunking in some water and then were put with the rest to join them for breakfast. this continued for about a week until they both finally broke.

 

[Lovable Chicks]

I had 2 go broody on me this summer. One just quit...before eggs hatched. Other one I sat in cold water and after doing it 3 times she gave up too. (it was a hot day and she didnt seem to mind as she just sat there).

 

[Bravo]

Thanks guys! I can break them after spending several days inside wire dog crates...I don't like to do it but that is the only thing that seems to work. Swims in the kiddie pool don't really have an effect on them--they are pretty stubborn.

ScotianChick--I can sympathize! Since January, both girls have been broody 3 times. I am just breaking them now after over a month of them being broody. I thought they'd give up on their own but NOOOOO

My girls all free range too so I know it isnt out of boredom

Loveable Chicks--so sorry to hear that. Hope you were able to put them in an incubator in time. That is so sad

I am really curious to see if anyone has ideas on how to curb broody tenancies.

 

[10 point]

I have two BO that are constantly broody and all I do is take the eggs and kick um out if they don't have any eggs mine won't sit

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
Mine sat nearly a month without eggs

They are determined.

 

[the new breed]

Ohh

 

[Theda's Mom]

Don't know if this is any help, but my cochin is notoriously broody (but nice about it). For the past several summers, she would go broody in June/July and stay that way pretty much through to fall. This summer, she's shown no indication at all of wanting to go broody. I'm thinking it's 'cause I threw her in the truck for a 1300 mile road trip in early July! It might be a tad unconventional, to say nothing of expensive given the gas, but what the heck. If you're desperate, a long trip with your broody hen(s) might be worth considering!

 

[Bravo]

Theda's Mom :

Don't know if this is any help, but my cochin is notoriously broody (but nice about it). For the past several summers, she would go broody in June/July and stay that way pretty much through to fall. This summer, she's shown no indication at all of wanting to go broody. I'm thinking it's 'cause I threw her in the truck for a 1300 mile road trip in early July! It might be a tad unconventional, to say nothing of expensive given the gas, but what the heck. If you're desperate, a long trip with your broody hen(s) might be worth considering!

LOL!! I've done a 7 hr road trip with a rooster crowing in the back seat of my car! I was stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic and he was going to town crowing like it wasn't a thing. You can imagine all of the crazy looks I got from the cars next to me, I'm still a bit traumatized from it.

After that, traveling with a hen would be a breeze!

I think I am going to strap a reverse chicken saddle on them that is made with that cool gel inside that expands with water--kinda like a Kool-Koat for dogs. I wonder if keeping her bosom frosty would do the trick?!

Ha, I'll call it a Chilly-Chook--think I might be on to something?!? LOL