How to Break a Broody Hen

[JKRopee]

Worked for my Louise, too! And, she started laying again within a few days after breaking the broody mood! Good luck. . .

 

[HennyPenny13]

I need help desperately!!! My hen Brandy has been broody for 40 days she is siting on top of four fake Easter eggs. The problem is ..... its winter here in Northern Michigan!!! I have witnessed her leave the coop twice. The first time she left the coop she was looking for the rest of the flock and when she found them four of my other hens started to chase and peck her so she returned to the coop. The second time was when everyone was leaving the coop in the morning it was chilly ( 22 degrees ) she had a fit at went back in. She has been eating apple, feed and scratch and always has accesses to clean Luke-warm water. But her comb and face is a pink Grey color and I'm worried, she acts healthy and has been eating drinking as well as relieving herself. Is there another option to breaking her broodiness because I certainly can not put her in a cage she will freeze to death !!! Its a difficult situation because hens are generally supposed to go broody when its warm I'm lost and I'm a new chicken mama who's worried about her girl HELP!!!!!!!!

 

[appps]

Well tried the light part and that seems to help. 5 1/2 month old started yesterday and I'd put her out of the box and she would go straight back in.

This morning she was still there so when I let the others out in the yard for a wander I propped the egg collection lid open so the sunlight shone in. She lasted half an hour then gave up and is now out with the others.

Hope this is not a sign of things to come. Thought she would be older before this started but guess being half silkie she is going to be a broody gal too.

 

[JKRopee]

A broody hen is worrisome when you don't want her to be broody. I think I broke my hen's (Louise) mood by isolating her in the garage. Not sure if that is an option for you, but it was less than 48 hours and she was her sweet self again. I put in a small heat lamp in a rabbit hutch type coop, gave her food/water but nothing soft to sit/roost in. She really, really did not like it and began to look depressed (or something) by the second day. The second morning, I vowed to put her back with the other girls when I got home from work, even if it didn't break the spell, but. . . . (drum roll) it did!

Or, she was just done.

It was not a fun for either of us. . .

Good luck!

 

[MrsTrish]

We have a broody hen here as well...

Hubby physically took her off of her nest of imaginary eggs and put her out in the yard with the others, but she just pretty much stood around in one place...pecking a little at the ground with no interest what sort of fun her gal pals were up too. Not an hour later she was back in the coop. It is way too cold here just now to try the cage method, but their coop is quiet and pretty dark for the most part. Even with the little door propped open and a window. I think I'll try propping open the "lid" (more like a heavy, extra, movable roof! lol) to their nesting boxes and hope that coaxes her off the nest.

 

[aldarita]

We have a broody hen here as well...

Hubby physically took her off of her nest of imaginary eggs and put her out in the yard with the others, but she just pretty much stood around in one place...pecking a little at the ground with no interest what sort of fun her gal pals were up too. Not an hour later she was back in the coop. It is way too cold here just now to try the cage method, but their coop is quiet and pretty dark for the most part. Even with the little door propped open and a window. I think I'll try propping open the "lid" (more like a heavy, extra, movable roof! lol) to their nesting boxes and hope that coaxes her off the nest.

I read in the forum that a guy succeeded getting his hen out of "broodiness" just by covering the nest boxes at night forcing his hen to roost with the other rather than staying in the nest all day long.Of course you have to uncover them very early so your other hens will have access to them.

 

[JKRopee]

That sounds like a great idea, should one of the girls get moody/broody again, I will try that first.

 

[Thassa]

I have 2 silkie hens that have gone broody on me, I move them out of the corner of the barn they made a nest in ( all the bantams have decided to lay there) every time I go into the coop. Last night when I went in for the final fresh water fill up and I moved them for the last time. Under one of the girls was my missing pocket knife, nice and toasty warm! It must have gotten buried in the pine shavings last week and she dug it out rearranging the nest.

 

[Chikenbutwut]

I don't have a broody hen, heck, I don't even have chicks yet lol (they're coming in June), but since I've ordered all bantams, I do have a broody hen plan.

I was planning on making my coop large enough to accommodate a wire crate to put a broody in, since I haven't a garage, shed or basement to keep her in. I would keep a light over her cage at night, maybe using a piece of wood to partially block the light from the rest of the girls, and so she couldn't see the nest box.

I have one of those exercise pens for dogs that I planned on putting in the run with hardware cloth over the top. I would put up something blocking the side where she couldn't see the coop, but could still see her flock mates and she could spend the day in this, being able to stretch her legs and whatnot, until I put her back in the cage at night.

Does this sound like a good plan or should she just be kept in a crate the whole time until she's broken of being broody?

I know it's a bit premature since I don't even have my chicks yet, but I'm one of those who likes to have things planned out and everything I need before a situation arises.

 

[appps]

I'm not sure you need to put her in a crate at night?? You just need to keep her off the nesting box so making that with a door would do the same thing and mean she isn't on her own and won't get cold in winter.
Correct me if I'm wrong though??