How long to break a broody hen?

[donrae]

I have a few questions about breaking a broody hen. Its December now, pretty cold and damp with bitting winds here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our Bantam hen has gone broody. We tried the wire cage with out any bedding, it was warmer that day and the sun was out. Now it seems too cold to keep her in the cage out in the open-ish (they have a large run). So we have just been taking her off the nest several times a day. She will eat, drink, and take a dust bath (before all the rain) but is pretty annoyed with us and her flock-mates, she complains/squawks the whole time she is out. We thought putting an egg that will not hatch under her, thinking she would realize nothing is happening and give up. Could that work? If we try the cage again what do we do with her at night? Put her back in the coup then put her in the cage in the morning? Could she snap out of it on her own? Why is she broody now, its cold, the days are short, and we collect the eggs every day? How do I stop fretting over my feathered babies???
Thanks for your help!
~Pharr Out Farms

I don't like to let a hen brood if there's no chicks happening. It's hard on their bodies, and there's no payoff. For that reason, I would not put anything under her, it will only make her more determined. Hens have brooded non-fertile eggs well over a month before they'll give up...not good, IMO.

Put your cage somewhere out of the wind, and in a dry area. Off the ground, no bedding, etc. It usually takes 3-5 days to break a hen in this manner. Myself, as long as she was out of the wind and wet, I'd leave her there 24 hours a day, but if you're truely concerned about her at night go ahead and try putting her on the roost....just know if she gets off and onto a nest, it will set you back on breaking her broodiness. She doesn't have to be near the flock, putting the cage somewhere like a garage or shed will do fine for shelter.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I don't like to let a hen brood if there's no chicks happening. It's hard on their bodies, and there's no payoff. For that reason, I would not put anything under her, it will only make her more determined. Hens have brooded non-fertile eggs well over a month before they'll give up...not good, IMO.

Put your cage somewhere out of the wind, and in a dry area. Off the ground, no bedding, etc. It usually takes 3-5 days to break a hen in this manner. Myself, as long as she was out of the wind and wet, I'd leave her there 24 hours a day, but if you're truely concerned about her at night go ahead and try putting her on the roost....just know if she gets off and onto a nest, it will set you back on breaking her broodiness. She doesn't have to be near the flock, putting the cage somewhere like a garage or shed will do fine for shelter.

Agreed - the process of brooding is quite draining on a hen and there is nothing to be gained by allowing things to her to remain broody if she is not going to be hatching eggs or have an attempt to have her adopt chicks. A truly broody hen is not going to roost with the flock, she will be on that nest, so there is no reason not to keep her penned 24/7 during the process of breaking her.

 

[silkymom]

hey if its a silkey your talking about id give her a small clutch and let her do it they are hard to break, even get fertilized eggs iff ya dont have a roo, give her the babys she wants,, mine were horrible, i had to take all unmarked eggs everyday i had to broody silkeys on one nest and all the others laid there eggs there to, good luck,

 

[Pharr-Out-Farms]

Ok. I think we figured out a way to block her from the wind (it really seems like it blows from all directions here) with full sun. We will put her in the garage at night to keep her warm.
She is a determined little momma! I think she could hatch a rock if we let her try, teehee!!
She has hatched out chicks from eggs we gave her. It was a great experience seeing her hatch and raise them but we ended up with 4 roosters out of 7 chicks. The idea of processing them weighs heavy on the heart!!
Thank you all for your help! I'll let you know how things go!!
Pharr-Out

 

[appps]

I have a few questions about breaking a broody hen.  Its December now, pretty cold and damp with bitting winds here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Our Bantam hen has gone broody.  We tried the wire cage with out any bedding, it was warmer that day and the sun was out.  Now it seems too cold to keep her in the cage out in the open-ish (they have a large run).  So we have just been taking her off the nest several times a day. She will eat, drink, and take a dust bath (before all the rain) but is pretty annoyed with us and her flock-mates, she complains/squawks the whole time she is out.  We thought putting an egg that will not hatch under her, thinking she would realize nothing is happening and give up. Could that work?  If we try the cage again what do we do with her at night? Put her back in the coup then put her in the cage in the morning?  Could she snap out of it on her own?  Why is she broody now, its cold, the days are short, and we collect the eggs every day?  How do I stop fretting over my feathered babies???
Thanks for your help!
~Pharr Out Farms

Yes you can put her back with them at night AS LONG AS she won't be able to get to the nest box. If she will be able to get in the nesting box it just undoes all that days work. You have to keep her off 24 hrs a day for 3-5 days it really doesn't matter how just no letting her on the nest at all.

When room has been a problem due to more than one broody I've broken them by confining to the back yard of a day then locking the nest box up , opening my coop and letting her free range and go to bed with everyone else. The next morning she just gets put back in the yard and the nest box opened for everyone else. They wander round rather than being in a cage and it still breaks them. The major factor isn't where you put them it's allowing zero access to the nest box day and night.

 

[Pharr-Out-Farms]

Hi all! Well, it took 4 days to break Peppa, our broody little bantam hen. Thank you all for your quick and specific (I need specifics!) instructions.
Thanks again!!

 

[donrae]

I'm glad she's getting back to normal! Those hormones sure are powerful things to fight. I totally understand how hard it is to break them---I also had a huge cockerel percentage this last year and am still trying to get them all processed. Sure cuts back on the desire to hatch.