How to Prevent Broodiness?

[KWestVA]

I have read somewhere on here that being broody raises body temp, so lowering body temp breaks it. Some people were talking about putting a frozen waterbottle under the hen, or even dunking her in cold water. You can't stop her from going broody, but you may be able to end it sooner.

I tried that, but apparently Cochins are really prone to broodiness. Blondie gave up after the requisit 21 days, but started showing some broody behavior last week (we have had crazy weather and I couldn't even collect her eggs due to all the ice). But I moved the chickens to indoor cages, and I think that may've halted the process.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Don't dunk them in cold water, only cool, and then only on warm days. I did that with a persistently broody Buff Orpington hen a few years back, and in a very short time her body heat actually warmed the water! But once she was wet and walking around, the water evaporating from her body did, I think, help to cool her a bit. And into Broody Jail she went!

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Never heard of water dunking until I came on here (grew up in a farming area, chickens everywhere)
I imagine fly strike would happen so fast

Oh also, never heard of broody jail until I came on here

We typically just keep removing eggs and let them get the hormones out of their systems themselves. (I'd guesstimate about a month)
However, I've never been around any that can't stop being broody, and it seems they would all take care of themselves until the broody hormones were over with.

I like having some occasional broodies in my flock as I want them to hatch for me, but they need to be able to take care of themselves and the chicks.
If there were a bird that stops taking care of itself and is forever broody, I think I'd have to put it down.

 

[MaverickNova]

My pullet came out of her broodiness two weeks ago and is now getting back to egg-laying. Is there anything I can do to prevent her going broody again?

• Previously, I left behind a fake plastic egg after collecting her first real egg, and when she went broody, it was with only plastic eggs.
• She appears to be a black cochin mix.

you cant prevent broody.

its like a demon that posseses them
but i doubt an excorcism would stop their determination to hatch some babies. and cochins are relentless when they go broody.

 

[MaverickNova]

I tried that, but apparently Cochins are really prone to broodiness. Blondie gave up after the requisit 21 days, but started showing some broody behavior last week (we have had crazy weather and I couldn't even collect her eggs due to all the ice). But I moved the chickens to indoor cages, and I think that may've halted the process.

cochins are my all time fave love them so much and they are amazing mamas

 

[Chixnbacn]

Hens have been going broody and hatching chicks on their own without human intervention since before they were first domesticated. They did not go extinct. We've domesticated them but many still have those instincts.

I've had broody hens come off of the nest twice a day for over one hour each time. I've had a hen come off every morning for 15 minutes. I've had many that I never saw off of the nest but I knew they were coming off because they did not poop in their nests.

Is it possible one could starve herself to death or die of thirst? You are dealing with living animals so anything is possible but I've never had one do that.


A hen's comb and wattles should be bright red when she is laying eggs. That is a signal for the rooster that her eggs need to be fertilized. When she is not laying, like when she is broody, the comb and wattles pale so the rooster will leave her alone.

Hens store up a lot of excess fat. That fat is mostly what they live off of when broody. That way they can stay on the nest and take care of the eggs instead of needing to go look for food and water. They are using up that fat so they are losing weight. It does not mean they are unhealthy, it's just fat put there for that purpose.


I doubt that anything I can say will make you less stressful. Maybe after you've seen a few cycles. I grew up on a farm where the chickens free ranged and raised chicks so I grew up knowing that they can manage. All we did was mark the eggs and remove any that were laid in the nest and did not belong. The hens did everything else.


Cochin are known to go broody a lot. That does not mean that every cochin will go broody often, but many will. It's bred into them. The only thing you can do is break her from being broody if you do not want her to hatch eggs or raise chicks. Or get rid of her and get breeds known to not go broody often. That does not mean you will never have a broody but the occurrence should be a lot less.

Sorry but our roosters will breed dying chickens with pale combs too. Its totally weird but it happens they dont care whether they have bright combs here

 

[BDutch]

My pullet came out of her broodiness two weeks ago and is now getting back to egg-laying. Is there anything I can do to prevent her going broody again?

• Previously, I left behind a fake plastic egg after collecting her first real egg, and when she went broody, it was with only plastic eggs.
• She appears to be a black cochin mix.

As other people say it’s hormones. But I do believe there is something, not much, you can do to discourage it.

Take away the fake egg.
Take away laid eggs asap.
Never let her sleep in a nest box.
A fresh and cool roost area:
Make very very much ventilation in the roost area. Like 2 sides with hwc on the sides where no storms can be expected. At least from spring till autumn.

Con: sometimes I find eggs on strange places. Like under the roost, on top of the compost heap, behind a garbage container… the uncoloured but very real easter eggs.

 

[KWestVA]

As other people say it’s hormones. But I do believe there is something, not much, you can do to discourage it.

Take away the fake egg.
Take away laid eggs asap.
Never let her sleep in a nest box.
A fresh and cool roost area:
Make very very much ventilation in the roost area. Like 2 sides with hwc on the sides where no storms can be expected. At least from spring till autumn.

Con: sometimes I find eggs on strange places. Like under the roost, on top of the compost heap, behind a garbage container… the uncoloured but very real easter eggs.

Thank you for the advice!

Unfortunately, due to the crazy weather we've been having here and my leaky (by which I mean completely useless) porch roof, my porch floor was a sheet of ice for two weeks and I couldn't even collect Blondie's eggs. I nearly slipped and fell, and my poor dog fell several times. Blondie insisted on going to the coop nesting box to lay her eggs, and I was so afraid she would get hurt, but those talons got the job done.

The daytime temps are finally above freezing, so I should be able to get the coop cleaned out.