Kindest Way to Break V Hen, Taken Eggs Away!

[Rafa]

Hi all, I have had a hen sat now for 26 days, and realised I must do the kindest thing for her sake, and take away the eggs. This was my first time with a broody so I let nature take its course, but unfortunately even through Rocky was doing his job very well, non have hatched and were all bad.

I have managed to get her off the nest and lock her out of the coop and now she is just getting very angry and standing outside the door clucking frantically. I know I should try and isolate her but she wont let me near her, poor thing.

I'm concerned that when I open the door later when they go to bed she will go back into her nest box, so what I would like to know is shall I get rid of her nest and leave the box empty with no bedding? Any advice would be very much appreciated as I feel so sorry for her at the moment.

 

[feathersnuggles]

You could run to the feedstore and purchase a couple day-old chicks, tuck them under her at night and remove the bad eggs. She'll think she has finally hatched babies. That should make her very happy!

 

[columbiacritter]

I find it takes several days sometimes almost a week to break some broodies. I remove mine to a separate cage with theminimal beddign food and water for at least 3 days.

 

[Rafa]

Thanks for that. but we have no where near that sells chicks and I still cant catch her. Shes a very wild little thing and very timid and nervous. The other five ladies are being very mean to her too. Shes just taken herself away to a corner and fluffed herself up. bless her i feel like a bad mother!!

Shes been having a good clean and when I did happen to get a little close to her before she darted off, she was cleaning her vent and I saw something that looked like a spot. Could this be parasites, ticks? Not sure what I'm dealing with here. She also looks like shes having problems pooping, she seems to be straining but nothing is coming out.

I've cleaned out her nest and left it bare with nothing in it, I'm hopeing this will discourage her from going in tonight when i open the door for them.

 

[Rafa]

Ok so last night I opened up the coop to let the chickens into bed and Rafa the broody went straight into a different nest box (inevitable I suppose). She came out briefly this morning then straight back in.

So what I have just done is took her off her new nest and isolated her in the wooden duck house which is in the run. I have put some wire up so she can see out and also food, water and minimal bedding. Does anybody think this work to break her? Will it be cold enough? How long do you suggest I keep her there? I dont have a dog crate or anything like that so the duck house is my only option. All the other ladies and especially Rocky keep going up and scratching to get in with her, which I'm hoping will take her mind off 'mothering' and start thinking she wants to be out there with them.

 

[WriterofWords]

I don't know how long, I've never tried to break a broody before. It sounds like it 's hard on you as it her,, I just wanted to wish you both the best.

 

[vatterpa]

you could check craigslist. Mine has at least three people a week selling chicks.

 

[teach1rusl]

I broke mine over a weekend (after about 23 days), so I feel your pain. I waited until the weekend so that I would have time to stay on her like white on rice (well...white rice...lol). I booted her from the hen house, but then my other hens needed to lay. So I'd go out there and play defense...lol. I took all bedding from my "extra" nest. At night, I'd go place her on the roost (after dark) and block off the nest boxes. She was so mad; It was kind of funny, but I also felt badly for her...pacing and cackling, trying to get inside, all mad and upset. But it finally worked! I hope the duck house (hope there's no bedding in there) works for you!

Since I"m not trying to hatch eggs, the next time mine goes broody, I'm breaking her right away!

 

[Rafa]

Thankyou for your kind words teach1rusl and WriterofWords, I never thought I would feel this guilty about a chicken! Keep your fingers crossed for her I really hope this works. I have learnt alot over the past few weeks, my first lesson for the sake of the hen is to candle the eggs sooner, but being new to this didnt really know what I was looking for, I have since seen lots of pictures and read loads on BYC and know what I'm looking for. I think I will give her three days in the duck house and see what happens, if she starts again then straight back in with her!!

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

I know that there are lots of schools of thought on broodiness, and lots of people have lots of ways to 'break it'. However, it is a fact that being broody is biological, not psychological, and no matter what the hen might 'want' her body has the control of this particular function! It may be frustrating to you to leave her alone, but it is probably the best course, if you let her sit on eggs or not, it will break when she is ready.

I have a goofy little bantam mix hen named Stevie, and she doesnt lay more than 5-6 eggs a year! (her feathers and baby are my avatar) She spends all her time broody, raising babies, takes a week off, then goes broody again, year round!! during the winter I have to give her stone eggs to sit on, cause its too cold here and I dont want her and her babies in the house during the winter, but she stays right on those stones!!

I have tried to break her broodyness, but there is no way that works, so I just stuff her with the eggs I want hatched, and she is happy as a clam. Last winter tho, after sitting on rocks for more than a month, I gave her real eggs, and she sat on those till they hatched! She brooded for more than 2 months straight! she is one of my hens that lets me pick her up, even flys up to my arms when she is in the mood, she always has good weight on her, isnt skinny or atrophied, just eternally broody!!

Really wierd thing? Her full sister Brassy Bob never went broody once, in 2 years before she was killed, laid every day tho.

Some hens just like to be broody, buy some fertile eggs, or get some dayolds from craigs list, and let her do her thing, there is nothing cooler than watching a good mommy teach her babies!

Good Luck!