How to break a broody?!

[RESQME49]

I have a hen that has gone broody. I have asked on my local FB page and got very contradictory responses. I was planning on dropping in to TSC and getting a wire dog crate for her and placing a baby in with her, but then got responses saying no. Then got responses saying to place a few eggs in the coop with her and then a few saying no. WTF lol I do not have access to a rooster but can get some fertilized eggs. I can also go buy a couple day old chick. Just let me know how to get her back to normal and laying lol

 

[jadip4]

I've broke mine by just forcing her off the nest several time a day for several days. If she's really convinced, you're on the right track with a wire crate. Put it up so that she can't sit on the floor and has air under her when she sits. Give her food and water and a couple days in time out. She should snap out of it.

 

[mgbantams]

You shouldn't place a baby chick in with her. She probably wouldn't take care of it, and she may even hurt it. If you want to break her, isolate her. A dog crate should work.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a hen that has gone broody. I have asked on my local FB page and got very contradictory responses. I was planning on dropping in to TSC and getting a wire dog crate for her and placing a baby in with her, but then got responses saying no. Then got responses saying to place a few eggs in the coop with her and then a few saying no. WTF lol I do not have access to a rooster but can get some fertilized eggs. I can also go buy a couple day old chick. Just let me know how to get her back to normal and laying lol

Well, you've come to the right place!

Do you want babies or not? How old and what breed hen? That will determine the action you wish to take.

Wire bottom dog crate... my nemesis. Though I do use it.

If you want babies you can adopt her a few in the middle of the night IN HER BOX from the feed store, as YOUNG as possible. Past 6 days old, forget it. I even call the different stores and see if they have breeds I want or if they will in the near future I can wait for them. She will raise them for about 6-8 weeks before she boots them because they are big enough. And she WON'T lay during that time. This is one way I get to try new breeds and add fresh pullets to my flock to combat winter production lull from molting ladies.

If you DON'T want babies... simply locking her to another location, even an open bottom grass pen will be sufficient to make her pace desperately trying to get back to her original nest spot. I NOW only use the wire bottom kennel (extra 1/2 inch wire had to be added to the floor by me), to contain them during the night without access to BEDDING but still inside the protected coop. Raising the kennel has been COMPLETELY irrelevant in my experience. And after I had one VERY determined gal spend almost 2 weeks on that raised wire floor, I had enough and it ALMOST broke me!

Cold water dunks... just cruel IMHO. Broody is a hormonal thing. Yes keeping their belly as cool as possible MIGHT help break them faster. Some are more determined than others. I have some girls who will break in 2-3 days and others who cause nightmares and HAVE to find new homes.

I'm super passionate about broody's. Don't leave them in a cage in the rain or any of the other disheartening things I have read people try.

Yes some ladies will break just by you disturbing them enough times. Not any of mine... who will sit on nothing and brood AIR!

Don't get fertilized eggs unless you're prepared to deal with the extra boys that hatch.

Even if I do "break" my gals... it takes about a week, before they return to lay.

Good luck!

 

[RESQME49]

I just went out and booted her out of the coop. She is just pacing in the run. I will try kicking her out for a few days and see where it goes. I do not want more chicks lol. I have 6 in the brooder! She is an one year old ISA Brown.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I just went out and booted her out of the coop. She is just pacing in the run. I will try kicking her out for a few days and see where it goes. I do not want more chicks lol. I have 6 in the brooder! She is an one year old ISA Brown.

Chances are she will go broody again in the future. They are usually repeat offenders. Some will brood once or twice per year where as others I have, are broody EVERY 3 weeks on the dot. And if allowed to brood and raise a clutch... then two weeks after coming back into lay trying to sit again.... back to back... to back... regardless of season. In captivity we provide good nutrition all year long unlike the wild that goes through actual seasonal changes than just lighting and temperature.

So if you plan ahead and try to work with her schedule you might be able to let her raise chicks for you next time. And skip the power bill and all the extra bedding to keep them indoors. Of course the trade off is her egg production.

You can also block the nest if you aren't worried about blocking others. But I would also be sure to put her on roost after dark when it's too dark for her to move back to the nest box.

 

[aart]

I just went out and booted her out of the coop. She is just pacing in the run. I will try kicking her out for a few days and see where it goes. I do not want more chicks lol. I have 6 in the brooder! She is an one year old ISA Brown.

Then break her.....no fertile eggs or chicks needed.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Feed and water added after pic was taken.

 

[RESQME49]

I don’t have room in coop but do in my run. I got a crate and put her in. Do I leave her in t over night?

 

[RESQME49]

 

[aart]

I don’t have room in coop but do in my run. I got a crate and put her in. Do I leave her in t over night?

Looks fairly sheltered, if it's predator proof you could leave her there overnight...
...or just put her on a roost after dark, then back in the crate in the morning.

Need to get crate up off the ground.
If you look closely, I have added 1x2 cage wire in bottom of crate.