How Can I Get A Hen UN Broody?

[21hens-incharge]

Just an update on a couple of my determined broody hens.
The Wyandotte had sat for 4 weeks solid. She did not come off the nest that I saw but must have since there was not a pile of poo behind her every time I gathered eggs. Today she was on the roost when I went out to tend the chickens and went outside for treats.
2 bantam cochins that had been sitting for 5 weeks are also off the nests as of yesterday afternoon. They too were outside for treats.

One Blue Andalusian that has toyed with being broody in the past but never committed is attempting again as of Saturday. I do not expect it to last with her since she is so twitchy anyway.

Picking up my hens and doing weight checks they all seem to have fared well. There is a little weight loss in the Wyandotte but the cochins are weighing only 2 ounces less than before the brooding. The Wyandotte dropped 7 ounces. More than I would like to see but she is a large girl and still weighs 6 pounds.

 

[Barred4Life]

Separate the broody hen from the nest box for 3 days...not 2, even if you're itching to get her back in with the rest. Three full days and then reintroduce at night. We have a bunch of phoenix that go broody like 10 times a year (they really exaggerate with the broodiness), and have been doing this and it's a no-fail and easy and the least stressful from other methods I've seen.

 

[Nofowlplay]

I wouldn't be concerned except for the aggression. She attacked the BR again this morning when I let them all in together. She was not interested in nesting yesterday when I gave her sole access to the nest boxes. Maybe her personality has undergone a drastic change.......

 

[21hens-incharge]

The thing I have learned about broodies is that when broody and for a while after that they are totally in love with the idea of chicks and anyone or anything other than that they totally hate.
I think given a week or two to calm down and get the hormones straightened out she will calm down a lot.
My bantam cochin will go after the big Black Australorps for a week or two once she is off the nest. Then they are back to being buddies.

 

[bwalden]

I've got 3 broody hens right now. We went on family vacation for a week. When we came back I had 6 broody hens. My sister in law was checking on them for me and said every time she went to check for eggs there were hens in those nest boxes. She just assumed they were there to lay. She had no idea they were broody. Very funny site to see 3 of them where in the same nest box. (yes its a large nest box) Wish I would've took a picture of that. I've managed to cut them down to 3 by using the small separate coop method for about 3 or 4 days at a time. I do have mine raised about 6 inches off the ground. With a food and water cup of course. Much too hot here to do without any water for sure. This method usually works pretty well for me, but of course I do occasionally get one very determined hen that will try and go back to the nest even after her 3-4 day vacation. Back to the coop she will go. I've had one that had to go back 3 times but most it just takes one trip. I have Black Copper Marans and Welsummers. The Marans are 10 times more likely to go broody than the Welsummers. I've got one Welsummers right now who is broody and it's the first one in about 3 years that's gone broody. I decided to put a few eggs under her last night since she has been setting on a ceramic eggs for about a week. I will move her and the chicks to a brooder coop when they hatch so the rest of the flock won't kill the chicks. So best advice I have it just be persistent. I think the light and high protein feed sound like a good idea to me also.

 

[N F C]

@bwalden , the eggs in your avatar are beautiful...are they from your girls?

 

[bwalden]

@bwalden , the eggs in your avatar are beautiful...are they from your girls?

Thank you and yes those are some of my Welsummer eggs. Here's a couple more. (Got some for sale by the way also) Lol

 

[drumbochick]

my brooies are not aggressive I have 2 Wyandotte one, brown and one beautiful black with white tips. I can put my hand under them to get the eggs and they will peck my hand but since I have been giving them treats in their box, they don't peck at me as much. I just leave them. when they are ready to come out they will
\

 

[N F C]

WOW, just beautiful! Thanks for sharing the photos.

Now that I've broken my broody, I don't have a way to hatch any eggs or I'd get some from you. Maybe now we need a thread on how to encourage a girl to GO broody? LOL

 

[yellowchicks]

Quote:
Day 7 update:

My broody Leghorn finally voluntarily came out of the nest box this morning!

Every morning in the past week, I made oatmeal + veggie + meal worm + layer feed mash, let her have some in the nest first, then remove her from the coop to finish up breakfast outside on the lawn. Then I locked her out of the coop, either in the attached run to dust bathe or to hang out and eat some more. In the afternoon, I put them in the 25' x 5' auxiliary run which is lined with fresh grass clipping and sprinkled with BOSS and meal worms, or let them free range in the yard. At first, she would just sit on the ground or in the dust pen, whenever she could, she would fly out to stand on the coop. Eventually, she could not resist chasing after the treats.

I kept moving the flock back and forth between two runs or letting them free range to keep them occupied throughout the day, anything but to let the Miss Broody get back into the coop. At night, she slept in the nest box, but I put her back on the roosting bar before midnight. She was very docile as always, puffed up a little in the nest box when she saw me coming to move her or the eggs, but I can pat her all I want, gave her lots of hugs while moving her.

Good thing the weather was nice and I had a long weekend to deal with her. I guess persistent pays off. This morning, the coop door remains open, but she stays out in the run scratching as usual now. Keeping my fingers crossed.