How to Break a Broody Hen

[bruceha2000]

Thanks for your quick reply, I have isolated her, but my question is will she continue to lay eggs while in isolation?

They do not lay when broody. It goes along with the natural reason they are broody: done laying a clutch of eggs and now it is time to sit on them for the next 3 weeks. Mine usually take about 5 days to start laying again AFTER they are broken.

 

[Flachickman]

Thanks, Bruceha, I am on day 2 of isolating my broody hen, but I found an egg in the isolation pen this morning. I think the broodiness might be my fault. I have left the 2 mock eggs in the nesting box, and that might have triggered her Motherly instincts. I have since gotten rid of the mock eggs. Time will tell if she will rejoin her sister in the coop and be normal. Is there such a thing as Chicken theripists

 

[rpar003]

So I have a hen gone broody. We don't have an isolation cage, so I've been locking her out of her coop during the day.
(we only have one other hen. She's not laying and is old and geriatric, so she doesn't mind).

At night we're removing her from the nesting box and putting her up to roost (where she stays).

So the barmy thing appears to be trying to "nest" on the roosting branch in their run. She sits up there and puffs herself all out over it and growls at anyone who approaches. There is some straw in a corner of their run - you'd think she'd nest there if she really had to. But no, she's chosen to sit on her non-existent eggs on a branch. I'm hoping she'll break of it soon.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks, Bruceha, I am on day 2 of isolating my broody hen, but I found an egg in the isolation pen this morning. I think the broodiness might be my fault. I have left the 2 mock eggs in the nesting box, and that might have triggered her Motherly instincts. I have since gotten rid of the mock eggs. Time will tell if she will rejoin her sister in the coop and be normal. Is there such a thing as Chicken theripists

If she laid she may be broken and quick back to lay at at that! If she is acting normally, let her out. The fake eggs do not cause broodiness, it is a hormonal thing. Mine will sit on shavings in the nest box with no fake egg all day and night if they go broody.

 

[tommygun]

Hi
I Previously read your post regarding broody hens, fortunately I'm a carpenter so easily made a wire bottom cage/ detension centre of which 2.5 days worked a treat and changed her mood and she is what appears to be back to normal apart from no eggs! It's been 1 week now since we broke her mindset I'm not desperate for the eggs just more wanting to make sure the girl is ok! As I say she looks completely back to normal so to me it's strange, any tips and help would be very much appreciated
Regards
Tommy

 

[gigelus2k13]

Right after I donated my first very broody Orp, the second Orp became broody too (never, ever will I get Orps again!). She's been broody for some 6 weeks and that's too much, so I decided to harvest her yesterday. Early in the morning, I put a big pot of water on the stove, sharpened my knife, got a bit of string and went outside to prepare the place for the job (behind the shed). Lo and behold, the broody finally was outside by herself, after 6 frigging weeks! Therefore, I decided to let her be this time and went to the store to buy a chicken instead.

Moral of the story is: when all else fails, explain to your broody the meaning of chicken stock in very serious terms, she actually may get it...

 

[Flachickman]

I'm about to show them a bucket from KFC to shock them back to reality.LOL

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi
I Previously read your post regarding broody hens, fortunately I'm a carpenter so easily made a wire bottom cage/ detension centre of which 2.5 days worked a treat and changed her mood and she is what appears to be back to normal apart from no eggs! It's been 1 week now since we broke her mindset I'm not desperate for the eggs just more wanting to make sure the girl is ok! As I say she looks completely back to normal so to me it's strange, any tips and help would be very much appreciated
Regards
Tommy

I would expect her to start laying pretty soon. How often did she lay before she went broody?

 

[tommygun]

Hi
Thanks for replying
She's a buff Sussex and previously she would give us an egg nearly every day! She seems to be ok and mingling with the other 2 as normal and she's eating & drinking fine so I guess just wait for her
Thanks again

 

[Barbi colson]

Help!! one of my Blackrocks has gone broody, shes in isolation in the dog cage, but the other 3 hens have also stopped laying???? I had to take her out as they'd been pulling her head feathers out, she looks a bit like emu!! She is the lowest in pecking order, she's still broody, all fluffed up an clucky, but I'm wondering why the others have stopped laying too? Shes the one furthest from
the camera - naturally!