If I Stop my Broody will She go Broody Again?

[sjango]

Strangely enough I've been raising birds for 4 years and have never had a hen go broody this young. I've had broodies hatch eggs for me before, but they were over a year old.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have her in a crate now. She was definitely broody. She puffed up and yelled at me and gave me half a dozen pecks before I could get her off of her nest. I let her out for an hour to scratch and she went back onto the nest again, so back into the crate she went! She has food and water, a perch, and plenty of ventilation in there.

Don't let her out for at least 2 days. At that time if she's not showing obvious broody signs you can let her out to test her, if she returns to the nest back in the crate she goes for another 24 hrs.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If the weather where you are is warm, you can also give her a cool bath to cool her underside in the morning, and maybe again in the early afternoon. I've done this with my broodies in the summertime and not only do they seem to enjoy it but I think it breaks the broodiness sooner. Don't dunk her all over, just cool her under parts, the breast, bottom, and splash up under the wings a bit.