How Can I Get A Hen UN Broody?

[wilmaarena]

I had a chicken that was brooding for over a month. I have no roosters so there was no way she would have had success. I took her out twice a day to make sure she ate and drank. She died and I feel so bad! Has any one else had this happen?

 

[DakotaChick]

We had tried numerous things (moving her frequently, taking the eggs, elevated kennel, etc) and then I read somewhere that you should move them after they go to sleep at night - worked like a charm (after 6 weeks of no success with other things I'd read). I went out for 3 nights in a row after they were all down for the night/it was dark - and picked her out of the nesting box and put her on the "roosting bar" where the other girls were all sleeping. The first two mornings, she went right back to the nesting box, the third morning she did not and she hasn't since.

 

[mak1]

What I used to do was fill a kids pool up with water and let her float. She wont drown she will float. Don't let her jump out.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

The hen is a cochin banty.

Don't worry folks...when the temps are warmer she has access to a pan of water.

I have the cage hanging about 2 feet off the ground. Several times today I when I was in the building, I would step inside the pen...and give the cage a push so it would swing.

She is still wanting to be a mother.

The main reason I am trying to get her out of the broodiness is because a hen can drop a lot of weight when setting. I have had hens die on the nest because they refuse to get off the nest to eat and drink.

She has been broody for close to 3 weeks... maybe longer. 

It is time for her to stop!!

Hens can loose weight going broody, but they will also loose weight when under stress and when they don't have food.

 

[currycat]

For us it's not because of loss of eggs. We have 9 hens and a roo. We don't want to stress the roo with too many hens to take care of, and unless they are molting it's plenty of eggs for us. Last year we let one hatch 4 eggs, we got 3 roo's and a hen, we kept 1 roo and the hen and took the 2 roo's to the auction. We kept the 1 roo because our old one was on his last leg so to speak, we could see him going down hill and let him live out his old age in the coop. Next year we will not try to stop a broody hen, some of ours will be 6yrs. old then. Wilma our buff orp. is 5 and lays 4or 5 eggs a week still, but I know we're going to have to start bringing in some young ones. Everyone has different reasons, these are just ours.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

Geez. I wish one of mine would go broody. i hear all these stories about how they are having so much trouble getting a broody to stop being broody and I'm over her like what?!?!?

 

[animal paradise]

Just let her sit but collect the eggs. That's what I'd try

 

[smarsh]

I have not read everything said here, I need to be working, but I disagree with letting them back out to mingle, then putting them back, that is what they would do naturally if they were setting. I have found that forced isolation with in view of the other hens works best and left there. I have never had a hen to go back after a 5 day isolation period. But I have not tried this with something like a game hen, some breeds have had none of this instinct bred out of them and it is just what they live for. Please feed them.

 

[Bine]

I may have a minority position on that, but if you don't want broodies just buy a non-broody breed, don't toture your hens for beeing what they are.
Hearing about breaking broodies is like a a deja vu only this time it is hens, not bitches or female cat in heat.
About 30 years ago the spaying and neuter campaine was in baby shoes here in germany, people told me that they don't want to spay or neuter and that they don't need it b/c they could "handle" a pet in heat by dumping them into cold water, locking them up alone in the dark, or starve them til they "give in". We had to take a dog into care whos owner thought it would be a great idea .to handle the heat by putting a truck load of antiperspirant and cologne on the dogs bum with the result that the poor girl had septic vulva. In his defence he told the Veterinary Office that he and everyone he know did it this way and that this dog just was a little subborn so he maybe over did it and he wanted his dog back asap b/c he didn't do any real harm to the dog....
I realy don't want to know what real harm could be in his case.

 

[animal paradise]

I may have a minority position on that, but if you don't want broodies just buy a non-broody breed, don't toture your hens for beeing what they are.

Hearing about breaking broodies is like a a deja vu only this time it is hens, not bitches or female cat in heat. 

About 30 years ago the spaying and neuter campaine was in baby shoes here in germany, people told me that they don't want to spay or neuter and that they don't need it b/c they could "handle" a pet in heat by dumping them into cold water, locking them up alone in the dark, or starve them til they "give in".  We had to take a dog into care whos owner thought it would be a great idea .to handle the heat by putting a truck load of antiperspirant and cologne on the dogs bum with the result that the poor girl had septic vulva. In his defence he told the Veterinary Office that he and everyone he know did it this way and that this dog just was a little subborn so he maybe over did it and he wanted his dog back asap b/c he didn't do any real harm to the dog....

I realy don't want to know what real harm could be in his case.  

 

Well said. I 100% agree. Let them be or don't buy a broody breed.
Not to sound rude...