My Sillkie is broody

[Chris B86]

My chicken is broody she is 7 months old we have other layers and she is taking up the nest the others really like... I have tried everything dipping her in cold water, putting ice cubes in the nest box and finally locking her out of the hen house, but those didnt work as soon as I opened up the hen house she went straight for the nest box. I dont know what else to do and need your help please.....

 

[langley hatching business]

Hang a cage from the roof put the chicken in it with food and water for a day or 2 then let it go and watch.

 

[langley hatching business]

I only read that it works

 

[Pullet Press]

Do you have a rabbit hutch with a wire floor, or some other cage that has a wire floor? If you do, keep it off of the ground and put your Silkie in it (that'll keep it from laying down),
Read this lower part if you would like to brood chicks:
or if you want to brood chicks, put her in a cardboard box away from the other chickens (preferably in the dark), make note of the day she went broody, put some fake eggs under her and order/buy chicks that'll come on the hatch date (around 21 days after her broody date).

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[Pullet Press]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

Yours was so much more insightful than mine.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yours was so much more insightful than mine.

I've broken a few broodies.

 

[Pullet Press]

True. This is my 2nd year with chickens, and NO broodies (unfortunately), so you're a more reliable source.

 

[aart]

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.