I'm trying to un-broody my hen

[NHchicks]

My faithful RIR went broody in the spring and hatched us 7 now-teenage chickens.

And then I got rid of the rooster because we had chicks and his constant crowing was driving the whole neighborhood crazy. (Or at least he was driving me crazy)

And now she's broody again and trying her hardest to hatch unfertilized eggs.

UGH.

Several times while she's been on break for a few minutes I have stolen her eggs. She could care less. She sits on the empty nest anyway and pretends there are eggs.

So today when she took a break, I not only grabbed the eggs, but I locked the coop door so she couldn't get back in. (They free range all day.) I see now that she's circling the coop and it's breaking my heart for her.

But she's hogging the hens' favorite nesting spot, and she'll probably sit there till kingdom come waiting for those eggs to hatch. Plus, it's hot in there and I don't want her to get heat stroke for no good reason.

So what's a hen owner to do? I thought about buying fertilized eggs and putting them under her, but I really don't want to go thru all that again, esp. with the cold weather coming.

Any advice?

 

[La Mike]

Every time you catch her sitting throw her out the nest
If you lock her out of it eventually she will get the idea and go back to normal lol

 

[PhilErvin]

I just let my brooding hens be. They sit on the eggs that the other girls leave in the nesting box and seem to be happy so I just let them. I figure what eggs they don't lay while they are brooding they will eventually lay anyhow. They will lay until they have layed all the eggs in them then they are done laying eggs forever. So I see it as stretching out my egg production since my family and friends can only eat so many eggs per week.
Good luck

 

[Buugette]

My Silkies go broody all the time... I don't want any more chicks. I have blocked them from the nest... and at times brought them in and put them in a cage where they couldn't get all hot and bothered under there. In this hot weather, I found that wetting their bellies helped cool them down.

I also take my hens in the pool... they love it... I hold one close at waist level and just kinda walk around the shallow end of the pool... they get their legs and bellys wet and seem to enjoy the cooling in this hot weather.

Some people freak when you mention using water to break the broody... but a couple days of this and mine are out of the nest and running around with the rest of the girls. Plus, mine seem to really like water... they like puddles, the dog's dish, the baby pool and like to stand on the first step of the pool where the water is about 2 inches deep. You HAVE to be careful though... they can freak out, get away from you and drown... mine are very comfortable being carried and held and very trusting... and they love the water.

Good luck.

D

 

[NHchicks]

Ooh, that's a good idea, using a pool. My husband would freak if I let them come with me into the above ground pool, but I'll bet I could rig up a baby pool around here, or even get one cheap.

I didn't realize hens liked water.

If I use a baby pool with only a couple inches or so of water, I'll bet I wouldn't have to worry about them drowning...