How to stop sitting and laying pattern? !

[BethLeopard]

Help! I let one of my chickens set and we had 3 chicks hatch. I would like to stop the pattern. I marked the remaining eggs but now other hens have taken the liberty of adding to the clutch and this little hen is worn out! I really don't have room for more chicks but I am afraid some might be on their way to developing. How do I stop the sitting and let this hen be free!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

When I have a persistent broody I remove her and put her in a separate area with no eggs, such as a hutch or separate coop. You could even use a dog cage. Just make sure food/water is in there, and some bedding to catch the poo. It is ideal to actually have it be a hutch with a floor that is a grate (so there is no nesting sensation and the air flows freely). I leave them there for 3 days or so and then reintegrate them.

But if your hen is raising her chicks she shouldn't be setting on eggs?? I am not sure I understand your post. Is she raising the chicks?

 

[BethLeopard]

No, the hen is not raising the chicks. We separated them because we are currently having predator issues. We are raising the chicks inside our home.

 

[scflock]

When I have a persistent broody I remove her and put her in a separate area with no eggs, such as a hutch or separate coop. You could even use a dog cage. Just make sure food/water is in there, and some bedding to catch the poo. It is ideal to actually have it be a hutch with a floor that is a grate (so there is no nesting sensation and the air flows freely). I leave them there for 3 days or so and then reintegrate them.

But if your hen is raising her chicks she shouldn't be setting on eggs?? I am not sure I understand your post. Is she raising the chicks?

+1
This works. I use a bird cage set on blocks to get the air flow underneath to break silkies

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

No, the hen is not raising the chicks. We separated them because we are currently having predator issues. We are raising the chicks inside our home.

OK then you may be able to break her by separating her. But she may quickly go back to being broody. Sometimes I have to separate them two weeks later again after they go broody again!

I did have a hen die of brooding. She brooded for a long time and wouldn't stop even though I separated her. I gave up after a couple of days and put her back in. Now I wait longer before putting them back in and haven't had one refuse to stop brooding by giving it longer- sometimes even a week.