How do you stop a hen being broody?

[adpad5]

I have a hen that has went broody and stopped laying. I got rid of the cockerel which I thought might help. I can tell when one of my hens have stopped because I only have 3 laying and all there eggs are different currently all have stopped laying I think this is because the cockerel, it's it?

 

[nchls school]

I have a hen that has went broody and stopped laying. I got rid of the cockerel which I thought might help. I can tell when one of my hens have stopped because I only have 3 laying and all there eggs are different currently all have stopped laying I think this is because the cockerel, it's it?

Hens will go broody whether there is a rooster present or not; it makes no real difference. If a hen is broody she will spend most of her time on the nest; fluffing herself and growling whenever you get near. Many hens give up on brooding after a period of weeks; others will not. When I have a hen I need to break of being broody I either remove the nest or lock the hen in an area away from the nest boxes. There are chicken breeds that do not go broody or rarely so. If you wish for more eggs consider getting layers of these breeds. Good luck.

 

[adpad5]

Thanks

 

[Nupe]

The best way to break a broody is putting her into an elevated wire bottomed cage so there is nothing to nest in and she gets plenty of airflow to her bottom. I didn't have that so I put my broody in a dog kennel with a fan blowing on her. She broke in less than a week.

 

[adpad5]

Thanks

 

[sjturner79]

I have a hen that has went broody and stopped laying. I got rid of the cockerel which I thought might help. I can tell when one of my hens have stopped because I only have 3 laying and all there eggs are different currently all have stopped laying I think this is because the cockerel, it's it?

Yes, a flock will often stop laying at the loss of a rooster, or if the flock size gets below 5 . Weather can also have an effect. Another thing that can stop them laying is sickness. As someone else mentioned a rooster does not affect broodiness but if you don't have fertile eggs you need to break the brooding because many hens won't come out of it naturally till they get chicks, and can kill themselves trying to hatch chicks out of an empty nest or fake or infertile egg