How long will a hen be broody if she doesn't have any eggs to set?

[ChurchRdangi]

Hi,

I actually have a couple of questions...

First I have a hen that was setting about 10 eggs. They have rotted out from under her but she is still setting. The last 4 eggs actually rotted into a gross pudding and she didn't seem to notice. I tried giving her a baby but she attacked it. How do I convince her to stop setting?

Secondly, I have another hen that was setting several eggs which have hatched. I removed the babies because of a coop situation. She is continuing to set with out any eggs under her.

Should I give either hen some eggs to set or will they get over it soon?

If I remove the eggs everyday from my broody hens will they eventually give up?

Thanks,
angie

mom to 4 kids, 3 dogs, 6 cats, 20 full size hens, 1 full size roo, 5 bantams, 3 bantam roos (help!!!) 3 bantam babies, 14 full size chicken babies, 3 rabbits, 1 frog and 1 fish.

 

[hippichick]

If you have any kind of cage with a wire bottom, like a bird cage, you can break them of being broody. Put them in a cage with food and water, but no shavings or hay, just a wire bottom, and hang the cage. Usually in a couple to a few days, you can remove them, and they're over the broodiness. Works for me. If not, you can just wait them out.

Paula

 

[dftkarin]

I've headr that some broodys will sit and sit and starve to death - so sometimes waiting it out is a dangerous option. I got a few fertile eggs and stuck them under my broody hen. She sat for 20 days and they hatched and now she's up eating, drinking and pooping again - and being a terrific mother to a few chicks. She's all skin, bones and scraggly feathers but she' eating and moving around at least - so I think she'll recover from those 20+ days in a trance.

 

[mxpres]

I had a broody golden comet wanting to set on eggs that were not fertile,i don,t have a rooster,I used the cage method and within three days she was over the broody spell,it worked for me,,