How to Break a Broody Hen

[betterwayfarms]

I have a hen that has been sitting on her egg. Checked Sunday and there was still an egg. Today (tuesday) she is still sittling but when I checked (seemed like something was not right) there is no chick and no egg. We picked her up and looked. What happened? She is in a coop that is protected from varments. No dead chick and no egg residue.

If there is no chick then will she stop sitting on the nest? Should I giver her a couple of days and then move her?

 

[bruceha2000]

If a hen is just laying an egg will she still push the other eggs under her as if she were broody?

Oh yeah, they will gather up any eggs and then lay. I have a 4' long community box some of the girls use. If I put one plastic egg at each end in the morning, they will both be together with a real egg later in the day.

I have a hen that has been sitting on her egg. Checked Sunday and there was still an egg. Today (tuesday) she is still sittling but when I checked (seemed like something was not right) there is no chick and no egg. We picked her up and looked. What happened? She is in a coop that is protected from varments. No dead chick and no egg residue.

If there is no chick then will she stop sitting on the nest? Should I giver her a couple of days and then move her?

I have no answer for you. How long was she sitting on this egg and was it fertile? It takes 21 days for a chick to hatch. But someone or something must have removed that eggs as I think there would be shell parts in the nest whether it hatched or was broken.

 

[h5389dade]

I have a hen that has been sitting on her egg. Checked Sunday and there was still an egg. Today (tuesday) she is still sittling but when I checked (seemed like something was not right) there is no chick and no egg. We picked her up and looked. What happened? She is in a coop that is protected from varments. No dead chick and no egg residue. 

If there is no chick then will she stop sitting on the nest? Should I giver her a couple of days and then move her?

Could she have eaten it? We have had a few hens do that before. Just a thought. I know it sounds mean and terrible. :'(

 

[LE808]

I'm finding this dog crate really handy, we used it for our dachshund puppy which he has grown out of now. The food and water holders I bought on eBay for something like £2.50. I've also put her next to the other hens so they can still see her. I am then returning her at dusk when the others have gone to bed.

Day 2 of broody busting so far! I'll keep you posted!

 

[Nofowlplay]

My Ameraucana has gone broody and is trying to kill my PBR. She is more interested in attacking her than being on the nest. They got along fine for nearly 2 years. I have had her in the buster for 24 hours but as soon as I let her out she goes berserk again. Will she be amicable again after she is not broody? She was not this way last year, and just wanted to nest. This year she seems to be fixated on assassinating my Barred Rock. She is fine with the other two hens. Maybe I should add that the PBR is my best layer and the flock leader till now. Any advice is appreciated.

There is plenty of room, an enriched environment and free range time.

 

[LE808]

I had a similar scenario where my two cuckoo Marans just turned on one of my araucanas for no reason, I decided to rehome them. I used to have Faverolles and found one of them was very aggressive when she was broody, I would keep her isolated in the buster for a few more days and put her in the coop at night. Make sure she can still see the rest of the flock while she is in there as well. I broke my araucanas broodiness in 3 days in the buster, maybe you just need more time. Hope that helps

 

[bruceha2000]

I've not had a broody that didn't go back to it's former self after the broody hormones subsided.

 

[Nofowlplay]

Thanks for the help and advice. I left the PBR in the coop and pen today and let the other 3 girls free range for several hours. when I reunited the 4 of them the Ameraucana immediately jumped on the Barrred Rock and tried again to attack her after I broke them up. She is back in the buster again. I have a farm for her to go to if she doesn't snap out of this after she is finished being broody. I had to rehome a Wellsummer last year for being mean to her! Some gratitude!

 

[chixmaidservice]

I am going to try to put my 3rd (!) broody of the year in "Broody breaker jail". I have a wire cage that has lost its bottom- so she will be against the dirt. Will this be a problem? I have the cage under a tree to keep her out of the direct sun, but have covered the top w/ clear plastic to keep the rain ( daily occurrence, God, what a wet summer!) off and let light in. I gave my other 2 broodies day old chix in a super- stealth- midnight operation and that was a magnificent success both times. I will never raise motherless chicks again after watching how delighted a broody is w/ foster kids and how the little buggers thrive w/ mom hen. Not to mention how easy it is for me to delegate all the work of chicks to the hen! Only draw back is finding day- oldes at the right time, which is why I must break my latest brooder. I am in a suburban setting and have zoning laws of no roosters, and really can't keep adding more chicks as my yard-coop can only hold so many.

 

[36williamsn]

I have a hen about a year and a half old who for the past 2 days hasn't laid an egg. She stays in the nest box when I let them out in the afternoon. Yesterday I checked on her and held her for awhile and she went right back to the nest box. I didn'tthink anythying of it but today I let them out and she stayed in the coop. I also noticed her comb was getting pale and her crop wasn't full,normally she is the first one to greet me when I feed them. I blocked off the nest box and left her by herself. I also started anti-biotics just in case. My ? Is do you think blocking it off will be enough to break her if she is going broody? I am also hoping that her being by herself and not with the other hens and roo will help.