How to Break a Broody Hen

[Abriana]

I have a Dutch bantam that is insanely broody. I mean really, I have never seen a chicken wanting to hatch as bad as her. She is working on her fourth hatch now. When she finishes with a set of chicks, she lays eight or nine teeny white eggs and then insists on hatching again. She actually broke the skin on my hand once when I attempted to take some eggs. After about two weeks I give up and let her hatch. I am going to try the wire cage method as soon as she's finished with these three (she's so tiny that most she can hatch is four!).

 

[bruceha2000]

What are you doing with all the chicks??

 

[ScottKelly1974]

Thanks for the information. My hen went broody a few months ago. The first behavior I noticed was her giving a grunting sound in in pulses as she walked. I got some hatching eggs for her, and after a few day following the eggs hatching, she began getting out of the nest box. Since then everyday she had been getting out. I have been encouraging her to join the flock everyday for the last week. Now the chicks are a month old and she is beginning to join the flock. She is still protective of the chicks, but the social dynamics of the flock are still good. I did not keep her separate from the others after the first week from hatching. I think this has allowed her to keep her place in the flock and the other hens to accept the new additions. I'm hoping she will resume laying eggs soon. If not I will have to see about employing your suggestions.

 

[bruceha2000]

I've had a hen raise a brood of mail order chicks twice. Both times she stuck with them for about 2 months then BOOM the "I'm caring for babies" switch went off. She laid an egg and went right back to the flock. She had been keeping all but 1 other hen a good 5' from the chicks until that time. After that egg she was just as likely to chase the chicks from food as the other hens were. Yeah, the same chicks she was calling TO food the day before.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I haven't read all the way through. But it is timely for me as well. I have a blue Ameraucana setting like a snapping t-rex on a nest for the last 3 weeks. I've been busier than all get out with my Dad in and out of the hospital and managing teenagers and work. But today is the day for my Blue girl, Miss Kitty. She's getting a wire dog kennel on blocks in the Garage. Lights on in the garage all day and all night. Had success with this previously on a BA and a Silkie. 3-4 days. But I'm afraid that she's been on nest pretty long. Might take more time.

Reasons for for breaking her:
I don't want chicks with fall/winter coming on. Coop space.
And she's going to be going into her first molt. She needs more nutrition than what she is taking in. I need her in good feathered form before a midwest winter hits her.

 

[bruceha2000]

Do NOT leave the lights on all day and night. She should have as natural a life as possible while up in the cage. That includes normal day/night cycles. And if at all possible, the cage should be in the coop so she is in her normal environment.

And yes, since she's been broody for 3 weeks, it will likely take longer than if you had been able to "treat" her right off. Sorry to hear that your Dad is ill, that is never a good thing. Just adds to the stress of life.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thanks Bruce. Maybe I can leave some lights on in the evening a little longer and shut them off when I go to bed then or something. I agree about natural light rhythms but the whole breaking of the hormones requires light in theory, in my humble opinion... idk. Will take your good advice into consideration and give it a whirl for kitty. She's a sweety when she's not broody that is. Lol.

Dad's trucking along... thank you for good thoughts!

 

[bruceha2000]

More light isn't going to break her faster. I think was does it is the inability to stay hot underneath. That is why it is harder to break them in hot weather.

Sadly I had to put Zorra in the buster this morning. She was in the community box when I closed up last night. I figured she was working on a late egg. Still there this morning, no egg. This isn't the time of year my broodies usually go. The temps are going down, less daylight. Just not normal for them.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

No broody breaking for Miss Kitty. As it turns out.

Through the hub-bub of camping trips, dad, chicken sitters she has stolen a welsummer egg. I picked her up to examine her and she had an egg under her. I was surprised as I thought I had been catching them all. Brought her up for treats, and the egg too. Candled. Huge air cell, dark developments. We've probably got 1 1/2 or 1 week left and a welsummer chick will be here. I'm a firm believer in spring chicks but we've got some time here to feather her out and make kitty happy.

 

[bruceha2000]

Big surprise there! Plenty of time for the chick to feather out and with "Mama" there, it can warm up any time it wants.

Post back next fall and let us know if she does her first adult moult then shuts down for the winter. That is the biggest downside I think may exist with fall chicks. Eggs only half of their first year before first adult moult rather than spring chicks which usually lay for a year. But who knows, maybe they'll extend their productive laying life because they didn't lay a year straight.