AllenK RGV
Chicken Addict
Hi all I just wanted to share how I break my broody's.
1) I try to keep a log of every egg laid in my nest boxes on the porch, so,
A) I know when to expect an egg.
B) I know who is sitting too long.
C) I know when to collect each and every egg as it is laid so no hen gets ideas about sitting on a clutch and...
D) I know when it is an appropriate time to check under a hen and look for broody behavior.
When I go to check a hen for egg vs broody behavior, first I approach with the cats food bowl, usually this pulls a hen who is recovering from egg laying off the nest. If I am greeted by a screech or puffing up of feathers then 9/10 this hen is going to need broke, but still wait 30 minutes for an egg as my hens get broken on day one, usually this does not even interrupt their egg laying schedule one bit. The longer you delay the harder they are to break, and you need to move on to chicken prisons which is crating them off with food, water, and NO nesting materials. Now I anthropomorphize and prefer not to need crating to break them when overdue for an egg +1 hour.
How I break them:
1) Accept the fact I am going to get hen pecked.
2) Insert my hand under the hen palm up and slide it down to the keel covering the hot part of their underside. Gently lift the hen off the nest cradling her in your hand. I usually spend 30-45 seconds on this step as it seems to induce a state of torpor in the hen and this state usually lasts as long as you cradle her. I have seen them still in torpor 5 minutes after I set them down. My feral hen who never lets me get close also goes easily into torpor.
3) I then take the hen to a cool pool or 12 inch bowl(my case) of water and set her gently in then apply pressure to the top side of the hen and get those hot bits of belly nice and cool. I make sure to wash the cool water in to her feathers.
After that I just observe my broody for 5 minutes to see if she requires a new soak later in the day if she returns to the nest. I do palpate the vent area as well if no egg has been laid when lifting and washing my hens.
My heritage breeds are almost always ready to go broody so I do feel a bit like a subject matter expert now in this task as it is a near daily task for me.
Please post your thoughts comments or ideas.
Allen
1) I try to keep a log of every egg laid in my nest boxes on the porch, so,
A) I know when to expect an egg.
B) I know who is sitting too long.
C) I know when to collect each and every egg as it is laid so no hen gets ideas about sitting on a clutch and...
D) I know when it is an appropriate time to check under a hen and look for broody behavior.
When I go to check a hen for egg vs broody behavior, first I approach with the cats food bowl, usually this pulls a hen who is recovering from egg laying off the nest. If I am greeted by a screech or puffing up of feathers then 9/10 this hen is going to need broke, but still wait 30 minutes for an egg as my hens get broken on day one, usually this does not even interrupt their egg laying schedule one bit. The longer you delay the harder they are to break, and you need to move on to chicken prisons which is crating them off with food, water, and NO nesting materials. Now I anthropomorphize and prefer not to need crating to break them when overdue for an egg +1 hour.
How I break them:
1) Accept the fact I am going to get hen pecked.
2) Insert my hand under the hen palm up and slide it down to the keel covering the hot part of their underside. Gently lift the hen off the nest cradling her in your hand. I usually spend 30-45 seconds on this step as it seems to induce a state of torpor in the hen and this state usually lasts as long as you cradle her. I have seen them still in torpor 5 minutes after I set them down. My feral hen who never lets me get close also goes easily into torpor.
3) I then take the hen to a cool pool or 12 inch bowl(my case) of water and set her gently in then apply pressure to the top side of the hen and get those hot bits of belly nice and cool. I make sure to wash the cool water in to her feathers.
After that I just observe my broody for 5 minutes to see if she requires a new soak later in the day if she returns to the nest. I do palpate the vent area as well if no egg has been laid when lifting and washing my hens.
My heritage breeds are almost always ready to go broody so I do feel a bit like a subject matter expert now in this task as it is a near daily task for me.
Please post your thoughts comments or ideas.
Allen