How to Break a Broody Hen

[Southern Dad]

Two things:
1 - Put 1/2" hardware cloth on the bottom so she has something to stand on. You'll have to be careful there are no pokey parts.
2 - DO NOT leave her in there until she lays an egg!!!! Their egg laying hormones (or whatever) shut down when the broody hormones kick in and don't start up for some time after the broody ones have subsided. Do not expect an egg for about 5 days, maybe more, once she is no longer broody. Go by her actions. If she stops being clucky, stops being agitated, let her out in the morning and see what she does. If she goes back to her personal "regular" chicken vocalizations, doesn't flare, doesn't cluck, doesn't head back to the nest box within minutes of being released, she is probably over it. If she heads back to the nests, put her back in the buster until the next day. Since they won't lay for that ~5 day period, there is no reason for her to want to be in the nest other than still being broody.

That sounds like Sage advice. The standing hasn't been an issue for her. I'll try letting her out tomorrow. She was even going in the nest at night. Biggest problem was that she was pecking any other chicken that would try and get into the nesting boxes.

 

[bruceha2000]

Ok, wow. My first broody hen, and after reading through a bunch of posts and satisfying myself that the squalling, puffing, hateful glaring, catatonic zoning out, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde behavior shift is NOT a severe life threatening condition

- now I have another bit that I need advice about.

It is really hot here. Today it will probably hit 100 and it's a bit muggy. The girls have water and a wading pool and shade cloth and even a fan. My question is for anyone who has sequestered a broody hen in this kind of heat. Even if I put her up off the ground with water and in the shade, I'm still worried due to her inability to move around and potentially cool off.

If I put her inside somewhere, then she is separated and maybe that's not a good idea either?

Any ideas or thoughts?

Thanks

That one is tough. Hard to cool them off when it is as hot outside as it is under the hen. I think 100F is the set point for incubating eggs. I know mine are harder to break in the warm months. How about a nice fan blowing over a block of ice under her

That sounds like Sage advice. The standing hasn't been an issue for her. I'll try letting her out tomorrow. She was even going in the nest at night. Biggest problem was that she was pecking any other chicken that would try and get into the nesting boxes.

Yep, they hog the boxes and get REALLY nasty if another bird (or person) tries to invade their space. But the pecking order holds, My little Cubalayas are low, probably because they are 2/3 the size of a regular large fowl. I've more than once seen the broody one out of the nest with another girl in it, or found her sitting on another's egg. The Faverolles will sometimes let her share.

 

[Nardo]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceha2000


That one is tough. Hard to cool them off when it is as hot outside as it is under the hen. I think 100F is the set point for incubating eggs. I know mine are harder to break in the warm months. How about a nice fan blowing over a block of ice under her

I'll try that. I went home for lunch today and took her out of the nesting box and closed that off, but now it's closed to all until someone gets home this afternoon. When I leave in the morning it is still dark, but tomorrow I will have to get them off the roost in the dark or else she just comes down and gets on the nest. I took her from the nest last night after she made a bee line for it and I put her on the roost when it was dark so she couldn't see to get back to the nest. Or she would have....and man does she really hate me right now. lol

 

[Southern Dad]

That one is tough. Hard to cool them off when it is as hot outside as it is under the hen. I think 100F is the set point for incubating eggs. I know mine are harder to break in the warm months. How about a nice fan blowing over a block of ice under her

Yep, they hog the boxes and get REALLY nasty if another bird (or person) tries to invade their space. But the pecking order holds, My little Cubalayas are low, probably because they are 2/3 the size of a regular large fowl. I've more than once seen the broody one out of the nest with another girl in it, or found her sitting on another's egg. The Faverolles will sometimes let her share.

With the broody chicken out of the coop today, I got four eggs. That tells me that some weren't afraid to go there. There are three nesting boxes but it doesn't matter she wouldn't let the other hens near any of the boxes. I'm going to let her out in the morning, hopefully she'll roost instead of nest.

 

[h5389dade]

Hi, I am new here and have read some on how to break "hopefully" my hen from being broody. But I have a question, is she supposed to stay in the broody pen at night also? Or can she roost? Also does the cage have to be up on something? She has been broody a good month or so and I have just taken the eggs; but we are fixing to go on a trip and I need to try and cure her before then. I tried the water trick and all it did was make her mad and both of us wet. And she ran straight back to the nest.

 

[Nardo]

Hi, I am new here and have read some on how to break "hopefully" my hen from being broody. But I have a question, is she supposed to stay in the broody pen at night also? Or can she roost? Also does the cage have to be up on something? She has been broody a good month or so and I have just taken the eggs; but we are fixing to go on a trip and I need to try and cure her before then. I tried the water trick and all it did was make her mad and both of us wet. And she ran straight back to the nest.

Well, I am dealing with my first broody hen, but my understanding is that we're supposed to keep them off the nest if at all possible for as long as it takes to break past their hormonal instinct. So I put my girl on the roost last night after it was dark so she couldn't see to get back down, but she is furious with me pretty much non stop now. She puffs up and growls and runs from me when just a few days ago she would coo and chirp and run towards me.. Shrug. Mamma aint happy. I believe the cage is supposed to be up so that her chest/breast stays cooler because she is trying to stay warm to hatch. From your phrasing, I'm guessing that you are southern like me, since you're 'fixing' to go on a trip.

So I imagine it is hot wherever you are - as it is here in Texas. So you are going to have to try to keep her cool even as you crate her. Which is very hard for me. Good luck. Let us know.

 

[h5389dade]

Yep I'm a northern neighbor from Oklahoma. Tonight will be the first night putting her in to roost so we'll see how it goes.

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi, I am new here and have read some on how to break "hopefully" my hen from being broody. But I have a question, is she supposed to stay in the broody pen at night also? Or can she roost? Also does the cage have to be up on something? She has been broody a good month or so and I have just taken the eggs; but we are fixing to go on a trip and I need to try and cure her before then. I tried the water trick and all it did was make her mad and both of us wet. And she ran straight back to the nest.

And thus the phrase "madder than a wet hen"!

If you want to break her (and if she has been glued to the nest for a month, I suggest you do, or put chicks under her to brood) you can NOT let her get to the nest boxes. You can put her on the roost at night once it is so dark she can't see but I will buy you lunch if her fluffy butt isn't in the nest and she is not growling at you every morning as soon as it is light.

I know it is hard for some people but you really need her in the buster with air underneath 24x7 until her hormones turn off. She will go back to her normal self. She will not hate you forever even though at the moment she wants to take your face off if you get near. It's the hormones talking not the brain

But it will take time especially since she has been broody so long and it is hot in OK. Just make sure she has food and water and isn't out in the sun where she could overheat. Given the heat, maybe you could point a small fan under the cage so the airflow can help remove heat from her undersides.

 

[Southern Dad]

My brooder buster worked! She spent three days and nights in the dog crate suspended. When I let her out, she did not go straight back into the nesting boxes but instead found a roost. She's now been scratching and walking the run all day. She's on a roost tonight. I've got a camera in there that is aimed at the nesting boxes so I was able to keep tabs. I also got four eggs today.

 

[Chick Chic]

I've taken my hen off the nest so many times I've lost count. She sure is committed. She was sitting in an empty nest because I remove the eggs of course, we have no roos. The other hens crack me up, they dive in her box to lay their eggs if she is outside. I gave her a plastic egg from my kids cooking set. Been over 21 days. I don't have a wire cage to break her in. I guess I'll have to get one for future use. I did just get some new chicks. Would she mother them ya think? Or best to leave them in the brooder. I'm not really set up for all I have going on. 2 8week old pullets in a pen next to my hens and 3 chicks in the garage. I let the hens in with the pullets when I'm around. The pullets hide pretty well so I haven't seen anyone picking on them. Just wish that one hen would get back to laying. I've got nothing for her to lay on so it seems like a waste of her good egg laying time. When you only have 4, 1 not laying really cuts into production.