How to Break a Broody Hen

[KiwiPomegranate]

I'm going to get a wire cage for her today. The temps will be dropping into low 30s the next few nights do you think I should cover the cage with a tarp at night. I was gonna bag to set it up in the run.

I see it has been 6 days since your post, but if the temperature is getting that low, a garage or shed would probably be best. You don't want your chickens legs freezing with all the air coming through the cage.

 

[jessg84]

I kept her in the cage in the run. My run is in a pretty protected area of the yard. I covered her with a tarp. After one night she was no longer broody and she was fine. But I did not get much sleep that night. I'm guessing the colder temps helped break her broodiness faster.

 

[bruceha2000]

Yep, breaking them in the heat of summer is WAY harder than when it is cooler in the spring or fall. Mine don't go broody in the fall, they are too busy moulting (pillow fight in the coop?????). But those that go broody start pretty darned early, sometimes even in March.

 

[poplarbird]

today is day 4 my chicken in the broody breaker wire cage, and she has not shown any sign. before we bought the wire cage, she had been in the laying box for a week, so does it mean she is going to stay in the cage for around the same days given the day is getting hotter coming into summer here?

 

[bruceha2000]

today is day 4 my chicken in the broody breaker wire cage, and she has not shown any sign. before we bought the wire cage, she had been in the laying box for a week, so does it mean she is going to stay in the cage for around the same days given the day is getting hotter coming into summer here?

Where is "here"? Obviously the Southern Hemisphere

You can put your location in your profile.

I haven't found a 1-1 correlation between days broody before going in the box and days in the box. But I have found a correlation between getting in the box soon and a shorter time in the box vs a longer time allowed to sit in the nest and a longer time in the box. And yes, I have found it takes longer when the temperatures are higher since it is harder to keep the birds cool underneath.

 

[poplarbird]

Where is "here"? Obviously the Southern Hemisphere   You can put your location in your profile.

I haven't found a 1-1 correlation between days broody before going in the box and days in the box. But I have found a correlation between getting in the box soon and a shorter time in the box vs a longer time allowed to sit in the nest and a longer time in the box. And yes, I have found it takes longer when the temperatures are higher since it is harder to keep the birds cool underneath. 

"here" is Australia .

 

[MasAhora]

Feeling kinda mean today, we just put a broody hen into an isolation hutch to try and break her broody spell.
It is for her own good as I do not have the space for a 4th mama plus 10 mama-less chicks all housed separately. I do want to try and let my layers raise a clutch once before going to freezer camp after faithful egg laying service and enjoying freely ranging over a couple of acres or so, seems a good life rounded life.
This particular broody won't get to raise a clutch but cross fingers, she will enjoy the next couple of months being a free ranger.

 

[bbecca]

It's my first time around with chickens and my hen who just started laying 4 was ago is broody. She only has a fake egg under her. Do they not lay eggs when they are broody? And I don't have a cage for broody busting, won't be able to get one for a few days so do I just let her continue to sit on fake egg? How long can I do this? I was gonna try moving her off the nest but she attacks me. I don't want to give her real eggs to sit on yet, was gonna wait till spring when I'm more prepared to have more baby chicks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Broody hens will sit on nothing or anything. It's a hormonal state that compels them to hatch. You can leave her sitting for a while. The longer she's broody the longer it takes to break them.

 

[Graciesing2us]

Hi, I have six fertilised eggs had delivered yesterday, only four fit into the my incubator so I've put the other 2 in the coup in the hope one of my girls might hatch them. Anyone got any advice or thoughts on this.