How to Break a Broody Hen

[Sunny Side Up]

Today I gave a broody hen the cool water treatment, the first time I ever tried doing this. I had read that this treatment works because it not only makes a change for the hen from warm & dry to cold & wet, but her efforts to preen & re-arrange the wet feathers also helps re-program their little minds.

I only did this because for the first time in manymanymany mango seasons I have the opportunity to go out of town with a friend for a few days and Mister agreed to do the chicken chores while I'm away. I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible for him, and don't want to have an extra pen with chicks for him to mind.

My mixed-breed bantams are taking turns now trying to go broody. One was broken simply by taking her off the nest each evening and putting her up on the roost in the coop. It took a few days but now she's changed her mind. Then my very best broody went to set. I put her back in the coop for a couple of nights but she still went back to the nest.

So this evening I held her gently under the wings and swished her underside for about a minute in the water trough. The water was a little cooler than the air, but not cold. I held her as deep as if she were a duck swimming across the water, just her legs & breast and her bottom up to her tail. I had to do this twice, the first time I swished her for just about 15 seconds and she did go back to set in the nest. The second time she seemed more reluctant to go back to setting with such a damp underside. She stayed off the nest pulling at & preening those feathers back in place. Then it got dark and it was time to put her on the roost in the coop.

I am curious to see if she wants to continue brooding tomorrow...

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I've only had one hen go broody and so I can only speak to how I've successfully broken her.

I can usually tell that she's going to go broody about a week before she's fully broody. No point in rushing her. Just frustrates her so I wait till she's fully broody. Then I wait till night when she's really sleepy and has no will to protest. I pull her off the next and put her into a dog crate in the garage that has a big perch, food and water. I line the bottom of the crate w/ paper towels.

I know people say that the dog crate should be turned on its side but I've had no issues breaking her this way. I find removing her from the nests is key and keeping her from seeing the nests. I tried to put her dog crate in the run so she could be w/ her sisters and she rubbed a huge hole in her beak trying to get out of the dog crate.

Each afternoon, I let her out first into the big garden, then her sisters so everyone gets some yard time. The first day, she paces and tries to get into the run. The second day, she stays in the garden and maybe once or twice goes to see if the gate is open. The third day, she's pretty much over it.

Once everyone has laid, I block off the nests and let her go back into the run and make sure she's up on the roost w/ her sisters.

So three nights and three days. That's her magic formula and I've had to do this about 10 times. As a matter of fact, tonight is her third night in the dog crate in the garage. Sigh. I'm starting to think I should just cave and let her raise some babies to get it out of her system.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I've only had one hen go broody and so I can only speak to how I've successfully broken her.

I can usually tell that she's going to go broody about a week before she's fully broody.  No point in rushing her.  Just frustrates her so I wait till she's fully broody.  Then I wait till night when she's really sleepy and has no will to protest.  I pull her off the next and put her into a dog crate in the garage that has a big perch, food and water.  I line the bottom of the crate w/ paper towels.

I know people say that the dog crate should be turned on its side but I've had no issues breaking her this way.  I find removing her from the nests is key and keeping her from seeing the nests.  I tried to put her dog crate in the run so she could be w/ her sisters and she rubbed a huge hole in her beak trying to get out of the dog crate.

Each afternoon, I let her out first into the big garden, then her sisters so everyone gets some yard time. The first day, she paces and tries to get into the run.  The second day, she stays in the garden and maybe once or twice goes to see if the gate is open.  The third day, she's pretty much over it.

Once everyone has laid, I block off the nests and let her go back into the run and make sure she's up on the roost w/ her sisters.

So three nights and three days.  That's her magic formula and I've had to do this about 10 times.  As a matter of fact, tonight is her third night in the dog crate in the garage.  Sigh.  I'm starting to think I should just cave and let her raise some babies to get it out of her system.

I would remove the paper towel, turn the crate so it has wire on the bottom, and elevate it somehow to allow for air flow.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My 15 month old barred rock Silvia got broody the day before yesterday, I put her in a broody breaker yesterday for part of the afternoon, then I took her out and moved her to the run with the others. She took a dust bath and ate a little, most of the time she groomed. It was close to roosting time so when I left she was still out of he coop. This morning I found her in the nesting box so I put her back in the broody breaker. My problem is that it is so hot right now (95F) and eventhough I put a fan to blow air on her, it is just blowing hot air and it might not be helping to break the broodiness.
I moved the broody breaker and Silvia into a room where I keep all my chicken stuff and put one of those AC that blow cold air to a specific area, it works like a fan but it blows cold air. What I don't like about this set up is that she is completely by herself but it is the only way I can keep her cool.
I have been successful before breaking a broody pullet but it was back in the spring when we still have cool nights and she was always on sight with the others. 
How bad could it be for her to be by herself for two or three days?
I am very tempted to get her out during the day and watch that she does not get in the coop straight to the nesting box but I have read that it just makes the process longer.
I don't have a rooster and with this heat I just cannot let any of my hens get broody since it gets extremely hot in the coop. I have fans blowing on it, I have insulated it the best I can and it is shaded, still the temps inside in the afternoons get into the mid 90s.
Any recommendations you can give will be very well appreciated.

We have similar weather in VA and I didn't use a fan. My broody breaker is elevated under a roof. You can see pics a few posts back. Just two days each and they were broke.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I would remove the paper towel, turn the crate so it has wire on the bottom, and elevate it somehow to allow for air flow.

My vet HIGHLY discouraged me from using this technique on this bird due to her size. She's 8lbs and prone to foot issues. And it doesn't seem to break her any faster with the crate on it's side and up on blocks vs. just sitting normal. So I go w/ the normal way. But as with all things chickens, there are so many "right" ways to do things. So I only put that out there as an option that has worked for me. I'm not claiming it's the right way.

She's very chatty this morning. I do think she's coming around and once the other hens have laid and I can block off the nest boxes, I'll put here back out with the flock.

 

[twinzmom]

I've got another broody hen and she is being so nasty. Goes crazy if I even try to touch her. I had gloves on and she still hurt, now I'm taking a piece of wood and pushing her out of the nest box. She attacks the stick. Our temps have been in the high 90s with a heat index of 100. As soon as this weather breaks she's going in the breaker, I just can't coop her up right now. The heat is unbearable.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My silky mix is broody. I put her in the broody breaker at 7pm. Went out at 9pm to close up the run and she was sitting on the door stoop wanting into the coop. Lol. She must have squeezed her way out of the loose door opening. Clever girl.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote: I agree, there are usually a number of ways to raise chickens, a lot of variables to consider that make each situation unique.

The little broody bantam that I swished in water continued to return to her nest even after that treatment. I just kept taking her off the nest each evening, removing the day's eggs, and putting her up in the coop for the night. Eventually she got the message that this wasn't a good time for her to brood.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I agree, there are usually a number of ways to raise chickens, a lot of variables to consider that make each situation unique.

The little broody bantam that I swished in water continued to return to her nest even after that treatment. I just kept taking her off the nest each evening, removing the day's eggs, and putting her up in the coop for the night. Eventually she got the message that this wasn't a good time for her to brood.

Oh, I'm so glad. My BO who's gone broody each month over the entire summer is starting to molt so I'm hoping that deters her from trying to go again. Although, looking at all the photos people are posting of these adorable baby chicks, it's making me wonder if I shouldn't brood some. Hmmm.....

 

[Messipaw]

Somebody on this site wrote that they use ice cubes in the nest to break their broody hen. She places a few cubes under the broody hen and as she sits on them they cool her body temp down once they are melted away she thinks she hatched eggs. I never tried it myself but I will if my EE goes broody again.