how do you break a hen from being broody??

[gameboygal12]

I have 3 boody at the moment, and I only have 4 laying boxes. I already hatched chicks this year with another hen. please help!

 

[KRZ4CKNS]

Good question...... With my hens I find that collecting eggs asap helps... I have one hen who is a mean little stinker so avoiding the problem would be a great help, I am looking forward to some answers from the experts.

 

[teach1rusl]

Type into the search box "breaking a broody." Some say that if you place a broody hen in a wire kennel (a rabbit hutch, dog kennel, etc.) that is raised off the ground (I guess to help with cooling/air flow) with no bedding, only food and water, and keep her there for a few days, it usually breaks their broody spell. Others say dunking them quickly in cold water will do it (I personally find that one a stretch). Many just keep tossing them off the nest, which sometimes does the trick. I have a broody now (no rooster) and have tossed her out a few times, mostly to make her eat/drink, but she goes right back, and I've removed the eggs (even the wooden plant egg). Since she's my only one, I'm just gonna let her sit it out. But you could try the "broody breaking box."

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I put my silkies in an all wire cage, suspended off the ground. It is covered so they stay dry, etc. The airflow comming from underneath hitting their check/bellies helps to *break* them.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well I have a hen who was sitting on a very small wooden egg. I didn't want to break her as I don't like to and have more than 4 hens and nest boxes. In fact I just recently put together a pen just for broodies. Then again if I have another go that means makeing another, so I hope that doesn't happen.

Anyhow I've read that putting ice cubes in the nest box will break her. A change in venue will do it. A nest box with screening for the floor will do it. These are all methods I'm told will do. Some breeds are easier than others.

I keep an assortment of breeds and of the eight I ordered 3 have gone broody. Dominique, CM, and Red bantam friz. All less than a year old too. The rd bantam friz is on her second set of eggs. in a little over a year. I got eggs from a friend of a different breed and have her playing surrogate mom.

The point being if you can, keep an assortment of breeds some of which are less likely to go broody. This way you'll have eggs and replacement chicks. Broodies are good for hatching the eggs of breeds that don't go broody. I have Delawares and I don't see any of them going broody. So I put their eggs under the broody.

All the best
Rancher

 

[sonew123]

I had a girl go broody in the coldest snap of winter-she was my biggest BO and I wasnt going to let her hatch eggs that time of year so on a sunny day I brought her out side and stuck her fat body in a snowbank-she stayed right there for about 10 minutes-she could have kept going I couldnt take the guilt so I picked her up and put her back in her heated coop! I did it everyday for 3 days and she was done by the 4th!

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Meany!

I had a Dominique go broody in the winter and it was freezing. I stuck two eggs under her and she hatched them both. In an UNHEATED coop. I traded those chicks for a bale of hay, a pound of goat cheese and two bars of goatsmilk soap. Glad I let her hatch them.

What'd you get?

 

[Gonda]

My mother tells me that they used to hang broody hens in a bag in a tree and didn't feed them. I'm not recommending that. But I guess the principle is the cooling down effect. I've read up on it and also read about the cage, off the ground. And do keep feeding and watering them. I've just started with a new flock of chickens, (had hybrids before so not used to the broodiness experience previously). Now I've had two hens go broody. The first one I just took the eggs out, and she sat in the nest for 3 weeks. I had enough nests so that isn't an issue for me. Then the next one went broody and I let her hatch 5 eggs. We now have 4 lovely chicks almost a week old!

 

[dianer29]

Does anyone know the harm in just letting a silkie 8 monther just go thru it we do not have a rooster,nor do we need/want one. This is now the 2nd time she has gone broody and I just handfed her also noticed /watched over her to be sure she was hydrated etc. She laid eggs and we made sure we removed them promptly. I did worry alot about her circulation.Twenty days of it and now a few weeks past and she is at it once again. She is a very pleasant chook to have in the flock.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Meany!

I had a Dominique go broody in the winter and it was freezing. I stuck two eggs under her and she hatched them both. In an UNHEATED coop. I traded those chicks for a bale of hay, a pound of goat cheese and two bars of goatsmilk soap. Glad I let her hatch them.

What'd you get?

LOL..I know I couldn't do it anymore though because she was getting so skinny-everytime shed get down to eat the others picked on her-I did it for her own health:-( You got a sweet deal! Id trade 2 chicks anyday for that stuff!!!