How to stop a brooding hen.... Or do you

[Justgotchicks12]

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!

 

[Brookliner]

Check out How to stop a broody hen in the forum on Egg laying and chicken behaviors. There are several threads.

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[Debbiesue]

We had a broody hybrid and tried putting her out of the coop everyday to make sure she ate and drunk. She always returned to the nest. Eventually we decided to let her hatch some eggs so bought a new coop and run attachment with the intention of buying some fertilised eggs on eBay as we had no cockeral but found as soon as we moved her to the new enclosure she no longer seemed interested in nesting.

I have heard that hybrids can go broody for a few weeks but never long enough to actually hatch anything. In fact we now have another two who have just gone broody which is strange as we have had chickens for three years before experiencing a broody hen.

Tomorrow they will both be moving to a different enclosure in the hope of breaking them.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Many production breeds have had the brooding instinct selectively bred out of them (so they'll focus on laying year 'round). But mixed-breed hens tend to have more of that instinct still with them. Each one seems to have her own component of skills, some are more dedicated than others. I've had purebreds, mixes, and bantams all go broody, most will finish the job and mother the chicks too. But there will be individuals who, for different reasons, quit in the middle of their set.

 

[Mother of 5]

I have only 5 hens and one will not stay out of the nesting box. She puffs up and acts really ugly when we push her out, then the other hens run into the coup and peck at her. Does she need to be put in a separate cage with no bedding? She has been doing this for days. Plus we have noticed that she does not roost as the others do, she stays in the nesting box.

 

[zindel610]

We have the same problem as mother of 5, any suggestions?

 

[AK Baha]

 

[Mother of 5]

Thus far, we have put her in a large dog cage..this one is wire on all sides, top and bottom. We had to cut chicken wire to fit the bottom, but when we put her back in the coop at night she goes right to one of the nesting boxes and not the roost. Today we have really hard rain and I just cannot put her in the cage and make her stay out in the rain all day..so I guess she wins, at least for today. They are really cranky things when they want to be. Shoud you find something that works please let me know and I will do the same. Oh by the way, we tried the cold bottle of water thing and had no success with that either. Great to hear from you and good luck.