How Long to Bust a Broody

[lisamayc]

A have a broody hen that I have seperated from the flock. She is in a 3'x4' house with wire caged bottom. How long is it going to take to bust her broodiness.

She has been in there 2 full days. Last night I let her out to free range with the other ladies and she joined the group. This is a step in the right direction - last week before I sperated her, when I would let ther girls out to free range, she wouldn't go far from the coop and would squak and get a fluffed up wanting to back in.

When it was time to go back in for the evening, since her behavior was different, I let her back in the coop and she went right up to the nest. So back she went into the broody buster.

 

[PhilErvin]

I have a hen that has been brooding for about 2 months now. I have left her with the others and every day some of the others will sit in the nest with her and lay their eggs then stand up and announce to the world that they had laid the finest egggs ever before departing leaving the broody hen to sit on them. I come along and lift the brooding hen up and take all the eggs out and sit her out on the ground to force her to eat and drink.
Good Luck.

 

[MIKE555444]

4 - 5 days seems to work for me...

except this one persistant game hen that I can't seem to stop. She has been in the "broody buster" for 4-5 days.... then back to the flock.... then after a few weeks she goes back to the "broody buster"... then back to the flock... FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS!!!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Good Luck changing "nature"

 

[Scrummycat]

I have a persistant one too. It has been taking a good 7 days each round.

 

[tropicalchicken]

We do this with all of our broody hens unless we want chicks. It takes normally 3 to 5 days, except for our one game hen who does like the other person said, she cycles about every 6 to 8 weeks going broody, I think that is the nature of her breed. We have done this for about three years and it has always worked.

 

[lisamayc]

Thanks - she is a BO which I understand can be very persitent. I'll be patient and keep her in the broody buster. Is it o.k. to let her out for a few hours to free range with the flock?

 

[ruthiesue]

Broodiness is genetic and it would be like making all your kids write with their left/right hand. They get nervous, upset, and for what? Just leave her alone and she will get over it. Or....let her hatch out some eggs. They get over it immediately! also, just take the eggs out every day, and ignore her behavior. She isn't going to starve to death, don't worry about that. This is normal chicken behavior. Or there wouldn't be anymore baby chicks!

 

[bigoakhunter]

It usually takes 3 or 4 days for me. But that letting her out to free range...IMO ... started the clock all over again!