Is a broody hen with no eggs ok?

[Redsteph]

I've seen a lot of posts about broody jail. Why is this necessary? I have a broody hen with no eggs. Will something bad happen to her? Wil she get really depressed or is there a medical issue? I'm getting ready to move so I can't let her sit on any.

 

[nuthatched]

Broodiness drains her of resources and strength and some hen will sit until they just about die.

 

[AntiqueB]

A broody hen doesn't lay eggs, which may or may not bother you.
She also doesn't eat or drink much, and can lose weight. If she goes broody too often or doesn't snap out of it after her 21-day "hatch," she could die.
I have had a broody sit that I didn't break, who didn't have eggs. Nothing "happened" that was bad, but she did lose a lot of weight and condition.

 

[Redsteph]

A broody hen doesn't lay eggs, which may or may not bother you.
She also doesn't eat or drink much, and can lose weight. If she goes broody too often or doesn't snap out of it after her 21-day "hatch," she could die.
I have had a broody sit that I didn't break, who didn't have eggs. Nothing "happened" that was bad, but she did lose a lot of weight and condition.

Thank you for your response. I'm not worried about eggs. Would you suggest I wait to see if she snaps out of it or intervene. Whats is kinder/easier for her? They are pet chickens.

 

[Redsteph]

Thank you for your response. I'm not worried about eggs. Would you suggest I wait to see if she snaps out of it or intervene. Whats is kinder/easier for her? They are pet chickens.

I let her hatch chicks last summer and she did ok with the nutrient reduction.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you for your response. I'm not worried about eggs. Would you suggest I wait to see if she snaps out of it or intervene. Whats is kinder/easier for her? They are pet chickens.

It won't hurt her to break the broodiness.
She won't have chicks this time so it will just be wasting her time and energy.

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you for your response. I'm not worried about eggs. Would you suggest I wait to see if she snaps out of it or intervene. Whats is kinder/easier for her? They are pet chickens.

You can grab her from the nest and sit her on the roost each night which can discourage a broody.
In case she still is determined, just grab her in the morning, put her somewhere safe outside and close the nest boxes. But of course, this can cause your other hens to lay their eggs elsewhere.
So it is best to put her in a separate safe run during the day without the opportunity to enter any nesting sites.

 

[AntiqueB]

Personally, I think being broody and being broken are both cruel. I never broke mine, and she was broody at least 3 months out of the year, but I did take her off the nest several times a day to get her to move a bit, and eat and drink. Poor baby.

LaFleche has a good idea by putting her in a separate run.

 

[Redsteph]

Personally, I think being broody and being broken are both cruel. I never broke mine, and she was broody at least 3 months out of the year, but I did take her off the nest several times a day to get her to move a bit, and eat and drink. Poor baby.

LaFleche has a good idea by putting her in a separate run.

Thank you. I'll start taking her off the nest today.

 

[nuthatched]

Personally, I think being broody and being broken are both cruel. I never broke mine, and she was broody at least 3 months out of the year, but I did take her off the nest several times a day to get her to move a bit, and eat and drink. Poor baby.

LaFleche has a good idea by putting her in a separate run.

I have hens that will sit for 2+months if I don't.