Is this what "broody" means?

[aart]

Those wire crates are an excellent chickeneering tool and nice to have a few on hand.
You will have to add smaller mesh to the bottom, I used 14ga 1x2 cage mesh.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

Here's how I set up the broody breaker, right in the coop works well for me.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

And to integrate your new chicks....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[IamRainey]

Thanks. That sounds a lot like Blooie's method and I had already determined to go that way. Got my Mama Heating Pad and made my space for the kennel in the coop.

I haven't gotten a cage with an open bottom yet. (I do have the kennel with a solid bottom for the chicks.) This morning I shooed my sweet Barnvelder out of the nesting box and when I went out an hour or 2 later she still was down in the run. I'm going to check again right now.

Edited to add: YAY! She was down there with her girls! Maybe 3 days of brooding was all she needed to get it out of her system.

I'll continue to check on her and rout her when necessary. She can lay again when she's d*mned good and ready. I'm A-OK with a natural approach and the hens' own timing.

I'm just grateful that she wasn't egg bound. That will be my next adventure in chicken keeping....

 

[IamRainey]

She was up on the nest again this morning when I went to clean out. I shooed her down and she ate and drank with the girls and was in no hurry to get back to the nest while I changed their water and started a new pail of fermented grains.

I think -- so long as she gets down there to eat and drink -- I will just continue shooing her until I see an egg in the nest. Then Nature will have it's way. I mean chickens in the wild must get themselves through this.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like she's already being broken from broodiness. Even after breaking it can take a few extra days to convince them to not start up brooding again, where they'll test you by returning to the nest box and sitting until shooed out.