How to deal w/ breaking a broody hen that's still laying eggs?

[Backyardchickengirl]

How do you balance the need to have a broody hen in chicken jail keeping her off her nest with her biological needs if she still needs to actually lay an egg and not 'just brood'?

So a couple of days ago we noticed our 42 wk Cuckoo Maran turning broody. The first afternoon I kept pulling out of the box. Yesterday, she came out of the box with a little hesitation for breakfast scratch when I opened the coop, but was back in her nest within a couple of hours. She's been laying fairly regularly. Since I figured she may actually be laying an egg, I'd let here stay in the box for 30-45 minutes, then check to see if she laid, then I'd pull her out of the box and set her in our run. *repeat* - So I proceeded to build a chicken jail. I'd let her out for a few minutes every three hours - and if she headed to the nest box, I'd giver her a little time on her nest; no egg = pulled out & back in jail. For her 5 o'clock release, she RAN to the egg box like a human with Montezuma's Revenge running to the toilet. A half-hour later I found her sitting on an egg. *(Egg removed and back to chicken jail.) I let her out of jail at night so she could roost in the coop after the others had gone up and I put cardboard over the nesting boxes so she couldn't spend the night in her nest. This morning, she didn't want to leave the coop, and after morning scratch went right back to the coop, so she's back in jail.

I set her jail in the run but covered it so she can't see the coop; her two other flock-mates are hanging out with her and she's very quiet and accepting of her jail, so I guess that's a plus, right?

As a new chicken owner, I'd love to hear from the experts. (Yes, I read a ton on the 118 pg. Breaking a Broody Hen thread but didn't quite see question this covered.)

Thanks in advance for any tips, suggestions, or advice.

I need all the help I can get, links, etc. My leghorn just went broody with the tic, tic, tic sound of a bomb. I got no leghorn eggs yesterday as she was sitting on all of them! I also don't know if she laid or not.

What to do?

 

[Backyardchickengirl]

Thanks, yes; just three hens. She's been very normal since we've had her (just over a month) and would stay out of the coop all day unless she was laying. As of a couple days ago, all she wants to do is be in the nest box, and if she can't get into the coop she paces and tries intensely to get into the coop/nest box. If given a chance, I'm pretty sure she'd sit and stay 24/7, but from what I've read, getting an early jump on breaking a broody hen can mean the difference of coping for days or if not acting right away, her broodiness can last for weeks -- so I'm trying to err on the side of acting early.

It was a very sudden shift between being out of the coop all day and not wanting to be anyplace but on her nest, so yeah, I'm gambling she's gone/going broody. (From a rookies perspective.)

Cheers!

help me break my newly broody hen. She makes the tick, tick, tick sound of a timebomb. Her feathers are distended or ruffled too. I don't know if she laid yesterday since she's sitting on all the eggs!!

 

[Yardmom]

Your first step if you don't want her to set is remove the eggs. If you can't keep off eggs loose then a broody cage may be needed.

 

[rosemarythyme]

help me break my newly broody hen. She makes the tick, tick, tick sound of a timebomb. Her feathers are distended or ruffled too. I don't know if she laid yesterday since she's sitting on all the eggs!!
View attachment 2171369

Breaking instructions and a photo of a broody jail are on first page of this thread.

 

[Backyardchickengirl]

Breaking instructions and a photo of a broody jail are on first page of this thread.

Thank you

 

[AngelaMa]

help me break my newly broody hen. She makes the tick, tick, tick sound of a timebomb. Her feathers are distended or ruffled too. I don't know if she laid yesterday since she's sitting on all the eggs!!
View attachment 2171369

My broody girl has been in jail for 2 1/2 WEEKS. I pulled her out once. She had a terrible time running from Rooster and got back into jail herself. She continues to be ”puffy”, eats a little bit but is not moving around very much. I’m not sure what to do next - other than Pass her on to someone else.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My broody girl has been in jail for 2 1/2 WEEKS. I pulled her out once. She had a terrible time running from Rooster and got back into jail herself. She continues to be ”puffy”, eats a little bit but is not moving around very much. I’m not sure what to do next - other than Pass her on to someone else.

Is she setting in your jail? You have to make sure she can't sit down and stay warm. A wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground is best for the stubborn ones. Put a roost in so air can circulate fully around her.

 

[Backyardchickengirl]

My broody girl has been in jail for 2 1/2 WEEKS. I pulled her out once. She had a terrible time running from Rooster and got back into jail herself. She continues to be ”puffy”, eats a little bit but is not moving around very much. I’m not sure what to do next - other than Pass her on to someone else.

She still hasn't stopped with the broodiness and at this point it's been 4 weeks. It's ALSO very rare because she is a Leghorn.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My broody girl has been in jail for 2 1/2 WEEKS. I pulled her out once. She had a terrible time running from Rooster and got back into jail herself. She continues to be ”puffy”, eats a little bit but is not moving around very much. I’m not sure what to do next - other than Pass her on to someone else.

She still hasn't stopped with the broodiness and at this point it's been 4 weeks. It's ALSO very rare because she is a Leghorn.

So both of you have let these hens out daily to test and they still want to run back to nest and won't leave?

AngelaMa, in your case I'm not sure if she's still broody or just using the crate to hide from a rooster, but I'll wait for more details.

If you have a real hardcore or chronic broody they can be very difficult to break, and might be a good candidate to rehome to someone who is looking for a reliable brooding hen.