How to Break a Broody Hen

[Sunny Side Up]

Maybe you should take her out of the Broody Buster after dark and place her on the roost. Then let's hope she'll wake up and think her broodiness was all a dream and go about her birdy business as usual with her flockmates. There may be some initial re-establishment of the pecking order, but if she's so docile there may not be too much fuss since she won't fight back.

 

[jndorsey]

Thanks for the idea! I think I may try tomorrow night, as I'll not be getting home until 11PM tonight, and the birds won't be put up until late. I can put the other two in the coop, then open the cage and let the Noisy One out to roost overnight. I figure if I put their treats outside the run Saturday morning before I let them out, then she'll see the cooked spaghetti noodles and grapes and go running for them, then realize this being out isn't such a bad thing after all. Push comes to shove and she goes back to the nest tomorrow morning, I can get someone to help put her back in the cage over the weekend. Husband is out of town. Thank goodness I have helpful neighbors or she'd still be sitting on the nest. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[writermom]

Quote:
Thanks for posting this! This idea of moving a broody hen to a roost in the middle of the night is exactly what I've been contemplating, and I just posted a topic about it in this forum last night. It's good to know that it can work.

 

[jndorsey]

Woot! Broody hen is back to her old timid self! Took her out of the broody buster last Friday evening when I let the other girls out to free range. She went right out with them, never gave it another thought. At dusk when the other girls went into the pen to roost, she followed suit, never went near the nest. I had to shoo her in toward the coop when it was time to put them up, and was worried about what I'd find on Saturday morning. When I went to let them out Saturday morning, she came busting down the ramp just like the other two and my RIR had laid over night!! LittleBird never even looked back at the egg. This evening when I went to let them up, there was a tiny pink egg in the nest, so everything's back to normal now! Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

I read about 3 pages of this thread and then skimmed a bit...

but how do I break a broody if I don't have a wire cage? I don't know anyone to borrow one from and I can't see me making one. I think my BO is on the cusp of being broody - she's been hogging the nest all day, which is very rare for her. The other 2 hens really like to lay in that nest and HATE the other nest and they haven't layed today since Ms. Broody isn't budging. Are there any tips for cage-less broody-breaking?

Just read on another chicken site that some people have had success breaking a broody by putting a clutch of ice cubes under her. I guess it can take 2-3 clutches of ice cubes. Thoughts on this? I imagine it'll just make the nest a soggy mess in about 10 minutes....

 

[kudzu vine]

Sunny Side Up is right. I remember my Grandmother would always put her broody hen in a small cage for several days. I have Betty that does this about every 6 weeks or so. I put her in the pen, with food and water, and place her where she can see the other flock. Do this for 3 days and she's done. Betty will sit on an empty next and when she's sitting, there will be no eggs until she's broke.

 

[cybercat]

Breeders way to break a broody. Body sumerge them in a bucket of cool water up to their neck. You might have to repeat once but thats it.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
I have a wire parrot cage that has a wire stand for my Broody Buster, found it in someone's discard pile. Check with your local Craigslist or FreeCycle group too. Or the 4-H. Maybe someone has a rabbit cage you could have or borrow. Even wire dog crate, maybe turn it upside-down so the closer-woven wires are at the bottom.

 

[Mary_Ann]

You are all amazing! I have a BR who stopped laying, sitting on an empty nest ( I kept stealing everyone eggs until everyone else choose another nest). I'm not sure I could put her in water, but I'm ready to try anything. Was just about to get rid of the wire puppy crate, but may give that, or the ice, a try first.

Thanks everyone!!
Mary Ann

 

[jndorsey]

I'll be putting my broody hen back in the cage shortly. sigh. She lasted about four weeks, then went back to her evil twin personality. It's amazing how hateful and aggressive a timid little hen can become when the voices tell her to sit on the eggs. Once you collect the eggs out from under her, she'll go out in the yard and hang out with the other two hens, so I'm not so sure how important it is to break her at this point.

Our neighbors had one who was very susceptible to broodiness and decided not to break her but to gather the eggs every day, thus getting her off the nest so she'd eat, drink, and get some exercise. She served as the intruder alarm whenever someone unwanted (snake, racoon, possum) would get into their chicken coop at night. They'd hear her squawking and hollering and they knew to get out there and take care of whatever was causing the racket. That said, I'm seriously considering letting LittleBird continue brooding for security reasons. Plus (and I know this is wrong of me) she's so doggone funny when she gets aggressive and protective like this, because it's the exact opposite of her usual personality! Usually if she thinks you might be thinking of touching her in the next few weeks or so she screams like a banshee (not the same as the squawking and hissing she does when you bump her off the nest) and runs off in the opposite direction.