How to break up a broody ...

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Okay a somebody told me that if you want to break-up a broody hen that you dunk her under water feally fast, okay so I tryed this and what did the hen do??? She ran right back to the nest! LOL I did it abunch of times but she went right back to the nest. Has anybody else tryed this? Thanks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not tried that method. There are a lot of other methods I have not tried, like ice cubes in her nest. This thread talks about how I do it, isolation in a wire-bottomed cage with no nest material around.

Break a Broody Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

Good Luck!!!

 

[TM Chickens]

Quote:
That's how I do it. No other way seems to work for me.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Like I was saying ... I tryed this at least 3 times in a row, but the chicken would just run back to her nest ...

I will look at the other thread! Thank ya'll!

 

[elmo]

A bird with wet feathers can't regulate its body temperature because wet feathers won't insulate. Be careful your bird doesn't get chilled and get sick. Since this doesn't work, anyway, maybe you should just try removing the nest or blocking this particular bird's access to it?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Not to worry they're just fine it was a really warm day and they dryed off real fast. Yes, I tryed moving the nest they're in, but they would just go around gathering up the eggs and set on the in the middle of the pen ...

 

[rancher hicks]

Dunking a hen under water is cruel and I, well it's just wrong that's all. I've read to put ice cubes in the nest box.

Personally I'd rather not discourage her as there may come a time when I want her to brood and she won't.. If you have a private place for her, move her at night and give her two eggs of whatever breed you like. Let her hatch them and if you need to take the chicks before she's done mothering. That is if you can afford to let her be a mom. You could then give the chicks away if you can't sell them. Motherhood is a beautiful thing.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Well I wouldn't mind having another broody hen, but you see I already have 4 broody that I gave eggs and they are in their own hutches, I don't have any more room! And I'm already gonna have to get rid of a few chickens as it is because I'll be getting around 30 chicks from the broody hens!
So I don't want anymore chicks right now. I need their eggs more then I do more chicks at the moment.
Plus, I 'm going to incubate 78 eggs in a homemade incubator ...

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

I've always found that the best way to break a broody is to separate her in a wire cage. I tried the ice-cubes, but the broody hen just melted them, and it got the nesting box all wet.

Personally, I prefer to let them just run their course without giving them eggs to sit on.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

They're not setting on eggs now, so maybe in a few weeks the'll start laying.