I have caged my Broody Hen and we are sad, am I doing the right thing?

[SusanMarie]

It has been three nights and four day since I locked me sweet Cochin in a cage hanging up in my coop. The cage has food and water, but no bedding (and is light and overlooks the chicken yard.

She seems so depressed (or is it me?). The one thing I may be doing that is messing this up is in the evening I take her out of the cage and allow her to walk aroung the yard (no access to nesting boxes). She pecks around a bit, but stays close to the coop with the rest of the broody ones, and when I open the door to the nests, she goes in and tries to get in, I imediately pick her up and put her back in the cage.

Please help me, I am almost to the point of letting her be broody, but 1/2 my flock is broody and I am not getting any more eggs. Will anyone die from being broody? Am I doing the right thing?

Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are doing the right thing. It is hard physically for a hen to be broody. If she is not going to hatch eggs, she needs to be broken. It is like a wasting disease with two possible cures, hatching eggs or being broken from being broody. Why would you want your hen to suffer for no reason when it is in your power to correct the problem?

 

[SusanMarie]

Okay, I understand why I need to break her, but am I doing the wrong thing letting her out of her cage for a few hours with no access to nesting box?

 

[NancyDz]

I had my first broody a couple days ago.. broke her already, first kept kicking her out of the nest and taking any eggs, then once the others had laid, I closed off access to the nest boxes for the rest of the day. Today she stopped trying already. I guess I got lucky?

 

[lauralou]

I am always having to deal with broody hens, and I do what you are doing. I cage them. I also let them out to run around a bit. But not for hours at a time. Just for a few minutes, while I'm out there doing chores.

I'm not saying that you're wrong to do that. I'm not really sure. It's probably okay as long as they don't have access to a nest.

Good luck breaking your naughty broody hen! Too many broodies can definitely be a problem.

 

[LynneP]

Handled mine a bit differently and broke her of the behavior though she still self-plucks


https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-sick-hen

 

[Chickenmaven]

We have a Broody Silkie Overload going on! We have already hatched a bunch (too many!) new chicks this spring. We are using our tractor to inspire our broodies to move about & eat. It completely broke two of their broodiness.

 

[prairiehousewife]

I'm new to having chickens. Just got them a couple months ago--free from a neighbor. So...what's a broody chicken? Is this something I should be worried about? How do I know?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

prairiehousewife, a broody hen is a hen that has a desire through hormones to set on eggs (21 days) and hatch out chicks.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Quote:
I was in the same boat until recently. I found the hen "perculating" making a funny sound like a coffee maker. Going wild if I came close to her to pick her up and she would not leave the nest. Now that's a good example of broodyness. Yes you will know when you see it.
Now, I learned from here what to do, as I speak I have one hen being broody. She is in a large wire dog cage which I use for this purpose of "breaking her". The bottom has chicken wire so she can't fall through or lay down on the concrete. Underneath is afew bricks to suspend it up so she has wire to sit on. This method keeps her bottom area cool and if you feel that broody hen it's really hot underneath her. So this makes her cool off. I have water and seed in there but she doesn't eat much but it's there. I do have a wooden roost now but tonight I am taking it out so she will have just wire to sit on. It's cruel sounding but it works. I have used it before and broke her in 3 days. I am being weak allowing her the roost but I am tiring of her and so are the other two hens that share the yard with her. The older hen will pick on her when she gets near her...telling her to stop that behavior I am sure. I hope this helps you to understand what to do when the time comes. It's weird...I am broody and get hot at night with hot flashes...hope my husband doesn't put me in a wire cage LOLOL it's hormones I'm sure. LOLOL