How to Break a Broody Hen

[albchickenfarm]

My neighbor's buff Orpington has gone broody two times. Both times were when my neighbor was out of town for an extended period of time. The comb on her broody hen went ale and sickly too. So I went to the local feed store and bought a container of mealy worms. I took her off the nest and outside of the pen, I gave her some worms. This helped her immensely!! She LOVES the worms. A few days later her comb was perked up and she stopped brooding.

That is very interesting. I will have to try that with my broody Aussie.

 

[vamcbride]

We figured out that if you give yogurt to a broody for a few days, they get off the nest.

 

[dianalhanson]

That is good to know!
Thanks!

 

[battagliac]

Good idea, thanks! I'll check it out.

 

[Caroline619]

Thanks so much for all this helpful advice! I am new to backyard chicken-keeping, we have 7 month old hens that we raised from chicks, 2 Barred Rocks and a Buff Orpington. Our sweet Buff started going broody, but wasn't aggressive at all, so we could take the eggs but she just stayed in the nest box for days. I was worried she wasn't eating or drinking so I pieced together some advice from here and it worked! Here is what I did... I let her be broody in the morning when they usually lay, but then moved her out of the nest and down into the run after I collected the eggs. I put lots of yummies in the run like kale and cantaloupe, and closed the hatch so she would be stuck down there for the afternoon with the others, then let them all back up at night. After they settled down for the night, I checked to make sure she wasn't in the nest box, and moved her to the roost if she was (first 2 days, by the third she quit this). I did this for 3 days and then the morning of the 4th day she came down with the others and has been back to normal ever since. It probably helps that she's young and trainable. Thanks again, I am loving this site!

 

[0to5]

Hello!

6 of my 8 hens are broody and won't seem to stop. They live in a spacious hen house with three nest boxes and perches. The broody ones all pile into one nest and I fear they are keeping each other warm so much they are broody too long. I've been removing the eggs daily, but I'm sure it's heading over two months for some of them.

So I bought a dog play pen with a net cover, set it up over grass, and put one broody hen in today. Fine all day, but now before I go to bed the rain starts, and it's windy and I get soft and bring her in. She was still warm, with droplets on her feathers, but I was afraid she'd get too cold if it rained all night. Should I have left her in the rain?

Thanks

 

[appps]

Hello!

6 of my 8 hens are broody and won't seem to stop. They live in a spacious hen house with three nest boxes and perches. The broody ones all pile into one nest and I fear they are keeping each other warm so much they are broody too long. I've been removing the eggs daily, but I'm sure it's heading over two months for some of them.

So I bought a dog play pen with a net cover, set it up over grass, and put one broody hen in today. Fine all day, but now before I go to bed the rain starts, and it's windy and I get soft and bring her in. She was still warm, with droplets on her feathers, but I was afraid she'd get too cold if it rained all night. Should I have left her in the rain?

Thanks

No. You couldn't do that. Plus it doesn't seem very predator safe.

I seperate mine of a day in a seperate pen and then just lock the nest box about 4:30 and let them back in with the others till the following morning when I seperate them again. Still works fine.

 

[mayberrymom]

Thanks for this thread. I have a Buff Orpington that is broody and this is my first experience with chickens, as we just got them last March. The other 7 seem fine, but she just wants to sit in the old doghouse all day. I physically picked her up out of there last night as it is getting pretty cold at night here in Idaho. She groused and complained when I put her in the coop with the other girls and this morning, she headed for the doghouse again. My husband had me block the opening to the doghouse (We no longer have a dog), and she keeps circling it like she is going to find a way inside. I don't have a wire cage or anything, so I guess I will just have to see how she does by blocking her from her chosen spot. Hopefully, she will come around soon.

 

[ChickenPeep]

Will this work to break my broody? It has a wire bottom.

Just kidding. I have her in a real wire cage now.

 

[gypsy767]

This is my broody jail. It's 2' X 4' with a solid top and back, wire bottom and ends. I keep it in the corner of a pole barn. The light is not perfect but it's ok I think. I just broke this hen from being broody but it took three sessions, a 3 day, 2 day and a 1 day b4 she rejoined the flock and didn't go right back into the nest. I let her out of jail this morning and she started scratching and eating with the rest of the flock of 16 BO's. I have checked on her multiple time today when I gathered eggs and haven't caught her back in the nest so hopefully it's over.

I do have a question...I built the broody jail big enough to accommodate several hens. Is it ok to have more than one BH in there at a time...? As late in the year as it is and 30 degree nights in north Ga and getting colder I didn't think I would have any BH's b4 spring...and I have at least one more and possibly 2 acting a little broody though they have not started staying on the nest as yet. This one was sure hard to break...!