How do i know if my hen is broody?

[Ridgerunner]

Break a Broody Thread

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

 

[Ponte]

One of mine went broody last week and following the advise of aart and others on this site it took only 24 hours to break her.
I would post a link to the advise I was given but don’t know how to, you can search for it.
I attended UM, where in Montana are you

 

[aart]

i have some hatching eggs coming mid may that i was gonna incubate so i was thinking about just letting her hatch some but if she’s already doing this i don’t want her to be too unhealthy for sitting so long

I'd break her and incubate as planned when you get your eggs.
She might go broody again before the eggs arrive.


My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Montanomom3]

One of mine went broody last week and following the advise of aart and others on this site it took only 24 hours to break her.
I would post a link to the advise I was given but don’t know how to, you can search for it.
I attended UM, where in Montana are you

I’m in Kansas City,MO

 

[Ponte]

I’m in Kansas City,MO

Oh, though it was Montana