How to UNbroody a hen

[JennH07]

Hi All,
I have hens only and one has gone broody. Since there are no roos the eggs are all unfertilized. So my question is how to get her unbroody?
TIA

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

A broody breaker. Use a large kennel or cage to put food and water only. Keep her in there until she stops being broody

 

[AngieDawn]

If it’s a silkie just give up. They never give up

 

[springvalley123]

I'm in the same boat. One of my blue andalusians is now broody. I tried taking her off the nest and putting her with the others, and locking everyone out of the pen (including her). But someone else wanted to lay an egg, and I didn't want all of them laying who knows where after panicking about where to lay. I got an all-wire crate from goodwill and put her in it. Then I read that I needed to put her off the ground for night time, so I moved the crate onto some blocks in the roost area. Just food and water and a tiny bit of shavings. Good luck with yours!

 

[aart]

So my question is how to get her unbroody?

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks,
(you could get her fertile eggs if you do want chicks)
IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.