How to Break a Broody Hen

[CHICKENRANCH14]

I just got done with my broody silver laced cochin. As with my others I separated from the flock and put in the wire dog pen. It is 12 X 10. They grew up in it this spring. She had food and water, lots of light and a heat lamp at night. When it turned bitter I put two of my other hens in with her and they all stayed under heat lamp all night. Then in morning I took two good hens out and left her to herself. She could see the other chickens out free ranging and I didn't give her nightly treat of mealworms. Took 4 days but she is happy and back in chicken pen with the others. The separate pen that I use is almost like the coop but not of wood. My girls are my babies so I take real good care of them. Little stinkers.

 

[nina1marc2]

My Silkie is broody again. Fourth time since August. I know the breed is known for being broody. She stays in the nesting box all day. She has lost her feathers to keep the egg warm. She also growls when I pick her up but she allows me too. I have removed her and put her in the broody cage or what we call "chicken jail." I have broke her of this every time. She is my best egg layer. Ugh

My question is...Why is she still laying eggs?

She is completely broody but this time she hasn't stopped laying eggs. I find this weird.

 

[CHICKENRANCH14]

Are you sure she is not laying on another chickens egg? My Blue Silkie went broody, picked a bad time to do so. I could not confine her until weather cooperated and I had to move and re-tarp the dog pen. I have what I call Solitary Confinement. In the dog pen 10 X 12 with plenty of food and water and heat lamp. At night I put two bigger chickens in with her to cuddle. Then the hens come back out. Total days in solitary confinement. 4 to 5 days. She sees the night treat of meal worms the others are getting and she is not. She just now started laying again. She seems to be back to her old self.

 

[nina1marc2]

Are you sure she is not laying on another chickens egg?  My Blue Silkie went broody, picked a bad time to do so.  I could not confine her until weather cooperated and I had to move and re-tarp the dog pen.  I have what I call Solitary Confinement.  In the dog pen  10 X 12 with plenty of food and water and heat lamp.  At night I put two bigger chickens in with her to cuddle.  Then the hens come back out.  Total days in solitary confinement. 4 to 5 days.  She sees the night treat of meal worms the others are getting and she is not.  She just now started laying again.  She seems to be back to her old self.

I sent a reply already but it didn't go through so I am going to reply again. If it goes through twice. Sorry.


Yes. She lays greenish blue eggs and my two EEs lay light brown eggs. She was also in her broody box alone when she laid her egg. It's weird because her behavior is completely broody but she hasn't stopped laying her eggs. I am thinking she is laying a clutch and since I keep taking her eggs she keeps laying them. She is so stubborn.

 

[CHICKENRANCH14]

I hear you on the stubborn.. Bluebell after a couple of days I let her out to free range with the others. She would run fly with the others and then she would hi tell it to the nesting box. I have to laugh, because she would give me the business when I took her out but she loved being held. My girls all 18 of them and each a different kind except for 3 pairs give me the most entertainment. Even TV can't compare. My other girls are very large and are all roosting now, but my silkies won't jump up and there is plenty of room. They roost outside ok and the same height bar, but don't know how to get them to roost in coop that I close up at night. I think they would be warmer.

 

[nina1marc2]

I hear you on the stubborn..  Bluebell after a couple of days I let her out to free range with the others.  She would run fly with the others and then she would hi tell it to the nesting box.  I have to laugh, because she would give me the business when I took her out but she loved being held.  My girls all 18 of them and each a different kind except for 3 pairs give me the most entertainment.  Even TV can't compare.  My other girls are very large and are all roosting now, but my silkies won't jump up and there is plenty of room.  They roost outside ok and the same height bar, but don't know how to get them to roost in coop that I close up at night.  I think they would be warmer. 

That's funny. My silkie mix thinks she is better then the other EE mixes. I really think she is a person sometimes. She would rather follow my husband or myself around then be with the hens. She is a hugger though and for that alone I think she is fantastic.

 

[Kiwi Amy]

We're new to henkeeping (we've only had our two girls for two or three months) so when one went broody we just sort of asked her to please not be broody anymore.

That didn't work. (There's a surprise!)

So we built a broody jail - we call it the henitentiary - out of things we had lying around. We tied an old wire freezer drawer to the trellis (it's deeper than a chicken is tall and quite wide) and fashioned a lid out of some plywood that wasn't being used and some wire. The floor of the drawer didn't look very comfy for her wee feet so we cut up a holey rubber doormat and popped that in.

After two nights and two days in there she went back to her normal bubbly self. It's so nice to see her back to normal! We live in an urban area so we're rooster-less and we really don't have the space for more than two chooks. Hatching some babies very isn't an option for us, so we're thrilled to have a way of breaking the broody.

Weirdly, the other chicken, who usually is the lower-ranked of the two (but they're best friends and get along beautifully) had started literally crowing every morning. When your neighbours are only five metres from the run it can be pretty embarrassing! Since Shelley came back to her chirpy self, Henrietta's stopped crowing. I wonder if she saw that her leader was indisposed and put her big-girl pants on, and the crowing was her way of trying to be the acting flock manager? And now that Shelley's back to normal she can go back to underling status.

Does that sound feasible or am I trying to put thoughts in Henrietta's tiny little brain?

 

[nina1marc2]

We're new to henkeeping (we've only had our two girls for two or three months) so when one went broody we just sort of asked her to please not be broody anymore.

That didn't work. (There's a surprise!)

So we built a broody jail - we call it the henitentiary - out of things we had lying around. We tied an old wire freezer drawer to the trellis (it's deeper than a chicken is tall and quite wide) and fashioned a lid out of some plywood that wasn't being used and some wire. The floor of the drawer didn't look very comfy for her wee feet so we cut up a holey rubber doormat and popped that in.

After two nights and two days in there she went back to her normal bubbly self. It's so nice to see her back to normal! We live in an urban area so we're rooster-less and we really don't have the space for more than two chooks. Hatching some babies very isn't an option for us, so we're thrilled to have a way of breaking the broody.

Weirdly, the other chicken, who usually is the lower-ranked of the two (but they're best friends and get along beautifully) had started literally crowing every morning. When your neighbours are only five metres from the run it can be pretty embarrassing! Since Shelley came back to her chirpy self, Henrietta's stopped crowing. I wonder if she saw that her leader was indisposed and put her big-girl pants on, and the crowing was her way of trying to be the acting flock manager? And now that Shelley's back to normal she can go back to underling status.

Does that sound feasible or am I trying to put thoughts in Henrietta's tiny little brain?

I think she was sqwaking to let everyone know she is there. If she was by herself she can get scared and make the noise to try to get someone to get her. It's completely normal and why I have three hens. When one goes broody I lock her in chicken jail and remove her from site completelly and the other two hens are just fine. Quiet. You might think about adding one more hen. My silkie goes broody quit often and will keep doing it. Silkies are known for it.

Good luck.

 

[Kiwi Amy]

That's not a bad idea. I'm reluctant to get another one, they're chickeny best friends and I can't imagine a newbie being welcomed with open wings. Plus we have limited space. If Shelley goes all broody-pants on a regular basis I'll definitely re-think that though!

 

[bruceha2000]

I would say "stay away from breeds known to be broody". It is no guarantee of course but if you choose a breed known for it, it is much more likely.
You broke her once and you will do it repeatedly in the future. I have 5 chickens that have gone broody, some twice a year, some three times. Like you I have no rooster so they aren't going to accomplish anything sitting on shavings for 21 days. The other 5 - not so much as a hint of going broody.