How to Break a Broody Hen

[smorris]

I just wanted to follow up with everyone regarding how to break a broody hen. I had great luck with the process described on the chicken-chick's website. I purchased a small wire cage with a wire bottom. I attached a feeder that I filled with a good quality organic layer feed as well as Omega Egg Maker for some added vitamins. Fresh water and provided fresh veggies and lettuces mid-day. I put my broody hen in this wire pen in the outside run area of my coop. It was shaded, but with good light which is important. I kept her in there for four full days. At the end of the fourth day I let her out and observed her to make sure she didn't head right back to the nest. She immediately started dust bathing and scratching around for feed and has remained out of the nest ever since. She seems back to her sweet self and I haven't noticed any broody behavior. I have now transferred in another broody hen and will try her for the four days. I will let everyone know how it goes with her. This was a great method though and really seemed to do the trick. Good luck!

 

[RodinBigD]

Quick update on mine. If you remember my wife brought 3 "hatching" eggs home for our hen to sit on.
Well, this morning we have 3 chicks out back. She seems to be taking care of them so far.

 

[N F C]

Quick update on mine. If you remember my wife brought 3 "hatching" eggs home for our hen to sit on.
Well, this morning we have 3 chicks out back. She seems to be taking care of them so far.

Congratulations on the new chicks!

 

[RodinBigD]

Already out and about!

 

[KiwiPomegranate]

My hen has seem to be broody for a long time now. Her chest is loosing all her feathers because of this. When I let her out she seems to be fine, but otherwise she sits on nothing, or possibly an "invisible egg." She isn't able to be with the other hens because of an accident that happened. She was sat on and attacked by a larger hen. She is now in our garage. Sadly she is in a rabbit cage. We hope to build a coop some time this month so she will have fresh air and a real coop to her self with sunlight
. She is let out every day, but seems to go back and lay in her cage and not on her rod. She rarely eats, but will eat scratch occasionally and especially when she is let out. Are there any methods that could help her?

 

[nina1marc2]

No idea if having a rooster around or the lack thereof makes any difference. I have 10 girls, had 12 but one Partridge Chantecler dropped dead (cause unknown) at < 2 years old March last year and an EE was taken by a predator April last year. They have never seen a rooster. If you DO have a rooster, you actually want some of the girls to go broody so you can hatch your own replacements. They don't even have to be the hen that laid the eggs.

Anconas - never have been broody. One has laid 38% (on average of course) of the days since her first egg and the other 40%. Eggs are always Large. 
Black Australorps - one does, once or twice a year, the other never has. She is "Super" Echo - best forager, best layer  (Large and XLarge), fastest to get back to laying after moult. She has laid 54%, Zorra  (XLarge and Jumbo and the occasional  that must have hurt)  is only 39%.
Partridge Chanteclers - both broody several times a year. The one I still have is a fabulous layer (Medium eggs, 7 to 10 days in a row then a day off) when she isn't broody but the broody tendency and moult period leave her at 46% of the days since she first laid. The one that died was the same. Still, she is my 3rd best layer by that measure.
Cubalayas - one does (a couple of times a year) the other doesn't. But they aren't called "yard art" for nothing. Even at their best the breed lays 2-3 small (if that big) eggs per week on average. The one that doesn't go broody is at 17%, the other at 22%.
Easter Eggers - never broody. The one that was taken laid at 45%, the remaining one is my second best layer (XLarge and Jumbo) at 51%
Faverolles - Broody as all get out several time a year. They both just got over their first bout of the year. They lay the large end of Small to Medium. One is at 28% the other at 35%.

 
The point - you can make generalizations about a breed, but each chicken is an individual   

My silkie is broody often. Very often. Matter of fact, she was this past weekend. Just broke her of it. Took 2 days because I caught her right when the behavior started. Crazy breed but so sweet

 

[nina1marc2]

My hen has seem to be broody for a long time now. Her chest is loosing all her feathers because of this. When I let her out she seems to be fine, but otherwise she sits on nothing, or possibly an "invisible egg." She isn't able to be with the other hens because of an accident that happened. She was sat on and attacked by a larger hen. She is now in our garage. Sadly she is in a rabbit cage. We hope to build a coop some time this month so she will have fresh air and a real coop to her self with sunlight
. She is let out every day, but seems to go back and lay in her cage and not on her rod. She rarely eats, but will eat scratch occasionally and especially when she is let out. Are there any methods that could help her?

I would let her out a lot. More than anything else. I would also remove the hen that attacked her and put her back in with the other hens. She needs some company while she is out. Hens don't like to be alone. If you remove the one that attacked for a few days it might change the pecking order of that hen and the other hens will give your broody hen a chance to come back with the others. Free ranging, sunlight, and fresh air is the greatest way to change a Broodys mood. Just lock up the nesting box so she can't go in there.

My silkie will go broody often on imaginary eggs. The loss of feathers on the stomach is normal too. It allows the egg to stay warmer.

Good luck. If you can't get her back with the other hens maybe buy another hen for her to have a friend. If she goes broody again maybe let her hatch some fertized eggs that can keep her busy.

 

[JackE]

My hen has seem to be broody for a long time now. Her chest is loosing all her feathers because of this. When I let her out she seems to be fine, but otherwise she sits on nothing, or possibly an "invisible egg." She isn't able to be with the other hens because of an accident that happened. She was sat on and attacked by a larger hen. She is now in our garage. Sadly she is in a rabbit cage. We hope to build a coop some time this month so she will have fresh air and a real coop to her self with sunlight
. She is let out every day, but seems to go back and lay in her cage and not on her rod. She rarely eats, but will eat scratch occasionally and especially when she is let out. Are there any methods that could help her?

She's not loosing feathers, broodys will pluck out their own feathers, to make better contact with the eggs. Have you read this thread at all? Put the hen in a raised, wire bottom cage, with water and food, for four full days. Do NOT let her out, until those four days have passed. You can let her back with the rest of the flock, after she gets past the broodiness. I have a couple of BOs. that sometimes it seems one or the other is broody, every other week. If they are not going to sit on fertilized eggs, they need to be broke. IMO, it's cruel to have them potentially sit for weeks, maybe months, for nothing.

 

[bruceha2000]

My update:

My BA broke but has yet to lay an egg though she was trying to crow earlier today. Yes I am SURE she is a she, the girls are nearly 3 years old.

Both Faverolles AND one Cubalaya are in the buster

Second time THIS YEAR for the Faverolles.

Lost my Partridge Chantecler to a fox Sunday and the other Cubalaya hasn't laid an egg since early September. Thus I am down to 9 layers, only 4 of which are doing their job

 

[KiwiPomegranate]

I would let her out a lot. More than anything else. I would also remove the hen that attacked her and put her back in with the other hens. She needs some company while she is out. Hens don't like to be alone. If you remove the one that attacked for a few days it might change the pecking order of that hen and the other hens will give your broody hen a chance to come back with the others. Free ranging, sunlight, and fresh air is the greatest way to change a Broodys mood. Just lock up the nesting box so she can't go in there.

My silkie will go broody often on imaginary eggs. The loss of feathers on the stomach is normal too. It allows the egg to stay warmer.

Good luck. If you can't get her back with the other hens maybe buy another hen for her to have a friend. If she goes broody again maybe let her hatch some fertized eggs that can keep her busy.

Thanks so much! I will try this and hopefully she snack to normal soon. She has actually never been in the coop with the other chickens, but maybe a new hen for her will be nice. Should we start out with a chick, pullet, or hen?