Mrs. Cuddlesworth is broody

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, I have a 7 month old broody hen. She is not coming out of the nesting box, is all fluffed up making little clicking noises and growls whenever we go near. We keep trying to take her out of the box but she's back again in a flash. There's no chance any of the eggs are fertilized, as there is no rooster!

So what do we do? I feel bad for her, my hubby picked her up out of the nest when I wasn't home and accidentally tossed her to the ground, thinking she'd flap her wings and go down but instead she fell to the ground in her trance like state she's been since she started this silly business. He didn't expect that. Course if I was home, that would not have happened. I take her out and gently put her down on the ground.

HELP!

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my opinion, you have two choices with a broody hen. It is too hard on them to just let them stay broody. You can either find her some fertile eggs to hatch or you can break her from being broody. To break a broody, the ideal is to put them in a cage with a wire floor. Give her food and water but no nest or nesting material. The air on her lower parts seems to help break her. If you keep her in this cage for two or three days, she should be over her broody spell. It seems to help if the area is fairly bright. If you do not have a cage with a wire floor, you can just isolate her somewhere as long as she has no nest or nesting material, but it may take a little longer to break her.

 

[jenjscott]

Or you could buy some day olds and sneak them under her at night. She will just be thrilled.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Oh boy! Separating her seems harsh but I understand the need. Don't think I would do the fertile egg thing, not sure what I'd do with the chicks as we have 8 and are only allowed eight. They're still fairly young yet too. Otherwise I'd consider it.

Any other ideas on how to snap her out of it? Will consistently taking her out of the nesting box do it?

 

[DayKay]

One of ours went broody (daughter then renamed her "Broody Butt") and we had to isolate her for nearly a week before she came out of it. We tried the baby chick thing - she just got MAD! She was plain ole' mean to the babies, which is why we went to the isolation thing. She is now acting normal, and almost mothering the chicks (at 7 weeks old) in some ways. I can't wait until she starts laying again! I'm only getting two eggs a day (2 of my chickens went to "visit" the Labrador Retrievers, two took a stroll in the woods and did not return!) and 2 a day does not keep those of us at the house AND the two independent college-aged kids households in fresh eggs!!!