How long does broodiness last with no eggs?

[AnniM]

My dominant Marin hen , approx 1 y/o, got broody on Friday and the next day her companion did too. I think she's being a" copychick" but in any case I left them in the nest boxes inside the coop last night with no hay to make it a little uncomfortable and today placed them in a wire cage with the fan on in the barn. 2 hours later they both wanted out and haven't returned to the barn. If they do they will both go in the cage tonight.

 

[Cookies-Chickens2004]

The cage will have many uses for you if not for a broody hen. A quarantine area, a hen hospital for an injured or stressed hen, or a time out area for a bully or a victim of bullying. It can really come

My Silkie went broody around 20th June (so been broody around 16 days)
I didn’t give her eggs as she’s very young and was told she wouldn’t be able to do it properly, also she refuses to sit anywhere other than the favourite nest box so she’s constantly being turfed out as she’s low in the pecking order.

I remove her whenever I’m out there, and remove any eggs she’s stolen from other hens. I’ve also tried the water bath method but that didn’t work. I tried to see if anyone nearby had a dog crate but no one did and I didn’t really want to order one just for this. I don’t mind her staying sitting there too much but for her own health it would be good for her to snap out of it soon.

Are there any other methods I could try?
How long will she stay broody given 90% of the time she’s not sitting on anything?
Also, next time she goes broody, will she have a better chance at being good at it given she’s been broody once before or is that not how it works?

Thanks in advance

The cage will have many uses for you if not for a broody hen. A quarantine area, a hen hospital for an injured or stressed hen, or a time out area for a bully or a victim of bullying. I have a few sizes and my larger one I use to introduce new pullets/cockerel into the flock. They can really come in handy.

 

[chickslovinmama]

After 23 days she’s now stopped she still makes the clucking sound as she walks, but seems to have zero interest in sitting on eggs

What did you do to get her to stop? Asking because my only laying silkie has gone broody, she's in day 2 of being really broody.

 

[FC16]

What did you do to get her to stop? Asking because my only laying silkie has gone broody, she's in day 2 of being really broody.

I just kept taking her out as much as I could and I think she naturally stopped.
But since then I’ve read lots of stuff you can do to help stop them such as using a crate, or dipping her in water. if your Silkie is the only one laying then I’d just completely block the nesting box off as no one else will need to use it and she will no where to be broody.

 

[chickslovinmama]

I just kept taking her out as much as I could and I think she naturally stopped.
But since then I’ve read lots of stuff you can do to help stop them such as using a crate, or dipping her in water. if your Silkie is the only one laying then I’d just completely block the nesting box off as no one else will need to use it and she will no where to be broody.

We've been taking her out everyday, but now she just lays in the yard and does her brooding there. I got a crate today so maybe that will help. Thanks for the advice and glad yours stopped being broody finally.

 

[Nurfsmom]

3 months wow thanks for your advice, will leave her for another week or so then might have to look into a cage.

FC16 try Marketplace on FB or Craigslist. I bought one recently (pretty large) for $15. Was in really good shape also.

 

[RobinS1217]

Buy a crate, one that folds for storage.
One with 2 doors can be very handy.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/foldable-wire-dog-crates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

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How did you do the water and food there?

 

[aart]

How did you do the water and food there?

Horizontal nipple waterer.
The feeder is actually a bottle waterer from Strombergs that I modified for a feeder by making the opening larger with a dremel grinder.
The cup is for cage birds that I put scratch grins in.

 

[klind]

My EE went hardcore broody this summer. I kept taking her out of nest, then blocked her from coop during the day. She went so far as to hop on top and "nest" on the asphalt shingles!! Nothing could stop her from getting as close to the nest box as possible. This went on for 3 weeks before I finally got a foldable dog crate. I let her out several times a day to run around, and popped her back in as soon as she headed for the coop.
It only took 2 days and she was totally over it! I was so laughing at myself for not just getting the crate sooner. Well, now I have one just in case.
My girl is back to her 5 minutes in the nest, lays her egg, and pops right out to sing.

 

[Wot The Flock]

Oh definitely the folding dog crate (with two doors) is "an essential".

I got mine second hand (perfect condition) as a broody breaker, rather than doing my DIY version as I used to. But it is currently being used as the hospital cage to restrict movement in bird with broken toe.

I have been thinking about getting a second cage anyway.