My chicken is still broody!!!

[Georgeschicks]

Hello,
I have a chicken who has been broody for a Looooooong time now. She was first broody for three weeks in early spring and we were able to break it by isolating her. Now she is broody again, and has been for almost two months. She is about a year old and is an EE. I tried to break her broodiness using the same method as before but she is still broody. I have not had time recently to pursue other methods because of other chicken emergencies. My isolation pen is currently being used by another chicken and I really need help solving this. If I wait it out will she eventually stop? What other ways that I haven’t tried work? I really miss getting her beautiful blue/green eggs and I wants her to be part of the flock again.
Thanks!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You need to pen her either in a wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground or even just pen her away from her chosen nest site. There is no other way that works.

Leave her in the pen continuously for 3-5 days before releasing. If they go back to the nest it's back to the pen for another 3-5 days. Broken early most hens will break within the 3 days. Left longer it will take longer. Provide food, water, and a roost.

She will eventually break herself when she becomes so depleted she can't remain broody. Being broody for too long will put a strain on their immune system and can allow external parasites to get out of control. It's always best to break them ASAP.

I have some that I have broken nearly 10 times this season. A broody hen is often broody repeatedly. Even if you break you when now it will take her a long time to recover and to start laying again.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I block off the nest boxes at night. It takes about a week to break mine doing it that way.

 

[Georgeschicks]

Thank you!!

 

[aart]

I block off the nest boxes at night. It takes about a week to break mine doing it that way.

What do you do during the day? Broodies don't just brood at night.

I have some that I have broken nearly 10 times this season. A broody hen is often broody repeatedly. Even if you break you when now it will take her a long time to recover and to start laying again.

I have a serial broody this year, it's a pain in the butt, yesterday put her in the crate for the 5th or 6th time. SMH.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

What do you do during the day? Broodies don't just brood at night..

They nest during the day unless I haul them off somewhere to walk back. So far it seems to disrupt them enough to get over it in about a week.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I block off the nest boxes at night. It takes about a week to break mine doing it that way.

I forgot to mention that I put them on the roost also. I've had some nest on the floor in front of the nests at night. My coop is built in such a way that they can't even get to the nests if I block off an area. So sometimes I have to block off the nests and access to the nesting area. That encourages them to stay on the roost.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I just hauled off a broody and carried her about 100 yards away so that she has to walk back. Along the way back to the nest they get distracted with things like bugs, plants and friends. I just blocked off the nests last night, so we'll see how this one goes.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What do you do during the day? Broodies don't just brood at night.


I have a serial broody this year, it's a pain in the butt, yesterday put her in the crate for the 5th or 6th time. SMH.

Mines an olive egger. She lays 6 eggs than goes broody. I break her immediately, she takes about 3 weeks to start laying again, than repeat over and over. She drives me batty. At least I can tell when she's starting and I get her in the pen sometimes as she's laying her last egg.

 

[aart]

Mines an olive egger. She lays 6 eggs than goes broody. I break her immediately, she takes about 3 weeks to start laying again, than repeat over and over. She drives me batty. At least I can tell when she's starting and I get her in the pen sometimes as she's laying her last egg.

Yep, sounds about the same as here....except mine is a marans mix.