How long will a hen stay broody?

[BCMominMD]

I have a Wyandotte hen that has been broody for almost SIX WEEKS!!! now. I took her eggs right away and tossed her out a bunch but she persists. I still gentrly throw her out several times a day. She pecks around a bit then climbs back in. She sleeps there. She is the only one who lays out of the nest box, always in the same corner and that's where she has been for all this time. She seems healthy and doesn't look sick but I miss her eggs and I just can't believe it's normal for her to stay broody for so long.

 

[Mahonri]

You need to give her a cold shower and put her where she can't get to a nest.

That said, I had one outside for over a week. We put her back in today and she immediately went back to her old golf ball nest.

.... another dip in some cold water and I'm going to have to put her in a wire bottomed cage.

 

[BCMominMD]

I have a small 4x8 covered run that I could put her in during the day. She would be all by herself but she could see the others free ranging in the back yard.
Do you think it's time that I need to take action?

 

[Southernbelle]

The key to breaking them is cooling them down. Some people give ice cubes to sit on, but the most successful I'd heard is to put them in a wire-bottomed cage, like a rabbit cage and hang it where she can feel the breeze on her underside and it should break her.

I always give them eggs to hatch.

 

[rancher hicks]

You have two choices.

1. give her some fertile eggs and let her hatch them. One or two will do. You can give the chicks away after she's done.

2. I've read if you dunk her in cold water that will break her desire to brood. I've got one now who is insistant. I take her out and put her on the floor and she just lays there like a blob. I see cold water in her future.

3. I've also read moving her to another coop or venue will break her desire too.

 

[Damummis]

I am in the same boat. I gave them (2 hens) some eggs to hatch, again. Then after this batch I think I will try the cooling down. I have never see such stubborn birds.

 

[BCMominMD]

I wouldn't mind letting her hatch a few eggs accept I hate all the extra work of separating the hen and chicks from the rest and with my luck I would get a rooster. I just finished letting another hen hatch out runner ducks. Fun but nice and simple to have them gone and the hen back in the flock.
If I just left her, how long do you think she would sit? Is there some kind of record?

 

[BCMominMD]

Awwwww. I just went out and stuck 2 eggs under her and she was soooooooo happy. Maybe I'll just let her hatch them

 

[Bookworm chick]

Do you have a rooster?

 

[BCMominMD]

LOL Yes I have a white rock rooster.

So I was thinking an egg from my crazy blue ameraucana hen who has only been laying yolkless little eggs this week if I can get a good one, and eggs from my white rock hen who I don't think has started laying yet since she raised her little ducklings that she sat. That leaves blue/green EE eggs - might get some colored egg layers out of those or maybe a few of the welsummer eggs - they are very chocolate - might get some darker brown egg layers out of that.
Any ideas?