Length of broodiness?

[bmcgregor]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I received my first flock of of layer hens as chicks in May. Late October I had one hen showing signs of broodiness. She's a buff orpington. She'd only been laying about a month. Her comb is still dull, not laying and I never see her out of the nest boxes unless I take her out. My flock is 13 hens. They have free range. There are 7 next boxes with fake eggs in the coop. I haven't got a rooster and don't plan to for a while. How and when will this hen stop. She has lost a lot of weight. I'm worried she won't survive if she doesn't stop. Furthermore, I had a second hen start the same behaviors a few days ago. If anyone has insight please let me know. Thanks

 

[Chickemee]

I wish I could help but I've never had a broody before. I'm pretty sure that she'll probibly sit for at least 21 days cause that's as long as it takes to hatch an egg.

 

[Dawn419]

Breaking a Broody is a post I started awhile back when one of our Banty Mottled Cochins went broody on us, just as the weather was beginning to turn cold.

Now, I have 2 Blue Silky girls who have been taking turns going broody, one after the other. It takes about 3 days of cold air on their fannies, in chicken jail ( a wire-bottomed rabbit hutch) to break them. She won't break herself, you'll have to do it for her. You might want to move the food and water closer to her also, to make sure she's eating and drinking.

Hope this is some help!

Dawn