Is my hen going broody???

[Judy]

The classic way to break a broody is in a wire cage with no nesting material, propped up so there is air flow below her, with food and water, of course. Even with a fan blowing on her underside. The cool air apparently breaks the cycle.

I have broken the "sort of" broody ones just by taking them off the nest and chasing them outside several times a day. I have had the wire nest method fail; had to buy her some chicks to raise, to stop her.

Lots of people just let a broody set. Sometimes I do, too, but I kick them out every time I am in the coop. If she does it right, she will get up and eat, drink and poop at least once a day. Occasionally you will have to make a broody do this -- if you find poop in her nest, you need to ensure she gets out at times. Broodies do lose weight; in some cases, too much weight. Occasionally one who is not sitting on fertile eggs will actually die. As with most things chicken, it varies with the individual.

 

[janenjay]

I have a light brahma who is definitely broody, but we have no rooster. We'll try rousting her out frequently. She protests when we take the eggs. The other hens climb on top of her to lay their eggs! Don't know if the wire cage w/ air is an option. Any other ideas? We have 5 hens - one RIR, the LB, an auracana, a silver wyandotte and a gold sex link. All are about 1 1/2 years old.
Thanks!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have a light brahma who is definitely broody, but we have no rooster. We'll try rousting her out frequently. She protests when we take the eggs. The other hens climb on top of her to lay their eggs! Don't know if the wire cage w/ air is an option. Any other ideas? We have 5 hens - one RIR, the LB, an auracana, a silver wyandotte and a gold sex link. All are about 1 1/2 years old.
Thanks!

If you decide to let her brood you might be interested in joining the discussion on this broody thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-and-informational-thread/12170#post_9336296

I have a 49 week old EE and a 40 week old Silkie who are presently broody - again! They've been trading off going broody since the start of the year. The EE has been broody three times now and the Silkie is on her 2nd round. I have not been successful in breaking either of them - so I just let them hatch out a couple of eggs each and then decide what to do with the chicks once they're here. It will take a good month of waiting for them to start laying again once you break them and if they are prone to broodiness - they'll try it again and again and again. Lol

I've heard you can break a broody by putting them on ice cube pile or dipping them into a cool bath - haven't gone so far as to try this method yet. But putting them into a separate area where they don't have access to eggs - since they aren't laying while broody - will help reduce the likelihood they will hatch anything.

A determined broody that won't break out of her sitting funk will sit until she "hatches" something - anything. So sometimes people purchase day old chicks and put them under their broodies - it works to fool them into thinking they hatched chicks and gets them out of the broody mode.

My Silkie is currently trying to hatch two ping pong balls because I've tried repeatedly to kick her out of the nest and removed all eggs from under her. She's determined.