My crazy bantam has gone broody and sitting on an empty nest

[kiminal]

Over the last few days, she's stopped laying and has gone broody and won't move from her laying basket. It's absolutely empty but she doesn't seem to understand. She's been broody once before and I let her sit on a few eggs which hatched about 6 weeks ago. I'm convinced she's quite mad. Any suggestions on how to bring her around or what's going on with her?

 

[silkiechicken]

Some girls are just that way. To break her broodyness you can try hanging her in a wire bottom cage so she keeps getting wind under her. Keep tossing her out of the basket and maybe even lock her out from it. It's natural for some hens to be that way.

 

[SpottedCrow]

My Miss MoneyPenny's doing this right now...some birds lay X amount of eggs, then want to sit...I've broken her once, she's sat once, and I'm trying to break her this time too...And I've only had her since December! She's a Silkie/Cochin cross and both of these breeds want to set...It's Madness!

 

[Birdygirl]

Hi there!
My bantam girl has been sitting for over a month.
She is about a year and a half old and never went broody before.
I have wet her down with a cool water hose, locked her out all day from the hen house and she cries and screams if I keep her away from her empty nest too long. I also noticed that her chest is losing some feathers and looks kind of raw/reddened, from all that sitting.
I think this is harder on us than them, but I still worry because I have to stay after her to eat, etc.
Hopefully yours wont sit as long as mine. I really dont know what else to do.
Brenda

 

[rosyposyosy]

i hear ice works

 

[silkiechicken]

Hhahaa, make egg shaped ice cubes!!!

 

[rosyposyosy]

i bet you could with those egg shaped jello molds!

 

[SpottedCrow]

Hey cool! Another Brenda!!!!
I put my son's bike helmet in the chair where she sleeps and it PO'd her enough to get her bum off and moving for a bit.
The red skin is just because there are no feathers there...not anything to be worried about.