Need help, first time we have had a broody hen

[NewToFarming]

Forgot to add that broodiness is a hormonal change in a chicken and I know some have been successful in breaking the broodiness but my thought on this that since it is a hormonal change, it can't be good to break the broody cycle for them in the long run. This is just my opinion as I am sure others might have different views on this. They will lose weight, feathers, sheen but they are the happiest little girls when their eggs hatch and they finally become a mom!

 

[marilyn15]

We are going to do exactly that and let nature takes its course. Of course I just went out there to feed them some treats and she was walking around the yard and not acting broody so who knows maybe it was a fluke?

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[NewToFarming]

LOL...sometimes they practice first!

If not now, maybe soon!

 

[Fritatta]

If you dont want her to brood you need to cool her off. you could get some plastic, water-filled ice cubes, freeze em, and put them in the nest. Or some people sequester a broody in a wire bottom cage, or even dunk in ice water (that one sound a little over the top for me).

Some hens will stay on the nest, without eating, drinking or pooping until eggs hatch. so you should break the broody, or give her eggs to hatch.

I had a broody that I had to take off the nest every day so shed poop and drink. she'd never stay out longer than 15 minutes, and once went 3 days without moving. (prepare yourself for a big, smelly POOP!)

there is a wealth of information on breaking broodiness on this site. lots of methods, etc.

 

[marilyn15]

She is acting broody again today, and we have no problem with that, and she does look like she has lost some feathers and we kept thinking she looks different....but thought maybe she is just old? While I am at it and we are new to all this, wanted to ask your opinion on separating our one Rooster. I am not saying he is mean or abusive to the hens, but since only 5 hens are old enough to mate he is really giving them a workout....if you know what I mean. And they are losing feathers on their back from that, so we just want to give them a break.


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[marilyn15]

She is right back at it today! Practice makes perfect!


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[marilyn15]

Thanks for the help. And we will keep this in mind. And definitely want her to have eggs to lay on.



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[NewToFarming]

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Yep, sometimes my girls are broody the entire day and get all confused and don't want to lay on the eggs at night because they want to be on the perch with the rest. It seems some girls need a few days to get it right especially first time moms.
I have 9 broody right now and another 2 are thinking about it like yours is!!! OYYY! They have me exhausted! LOL

As far as your roo question, yes, it might be a good idea to separate to give the girls a break. Maybe part of the day or every other day, whichever works best. I have too many boys right now myself and I do separate at least some of the boys because the girls get so stressed out when they are overworked like that. I put my girls in their "playpen" during the day and then they are all in the coop together at night. They really look alot nicer and seem so much happier! They also filled out better too. I don't think they eat enough when they are stressed like that from always having a boy after them.

 

[Silkies Mom]

You know my one silkie chicken wasn't acting right and I thought she was sick. Now, after all my stress and worrying, I believe she was just "broody". I didn't really know that they'd go without food and drink for so long. This is what I've been doing:

In the morning, I greet all the chickens and she's usually up in her nest box. I then put the food and fresh water in and a treat and then scoop her out of her box and place her right there with the other chickens while they are eating. I have coaxed her to eat and drink at times. I've even held her up next to the water and told her to drink.

Everyday, she'd take a little food or water and go directly back up to the nest box.

I've been doing this for a while. She appeared to be losing weight and was lighter when I picked her up.

After weeks of this, one morning, she was up with the other chickens and alert when I came down to greet them. She has been eating and drinking ever since and I think she is okay now. She is up every morning when I go down now.

I didn't do anything special, just made sure she kept drinking and had a little food.

If an egg was under her (from another chicken....since they felt sorry for her) I'd just take the egg away. She pecked at me a few times, but I still took it.

 

[Judy]

They will steal eggs, too. You definitely have to check under them every day if you let them set in the coop with the others, which is what I usually end up doing. They can carry an egg, tucked under their "chin."

Definitely the easiest way to break a broody is let her hatch eggs, or slip day old chicks under her at night. I've never had much luck with the methods I've tried; some I don't really want to try. I currently have two broodies, and hatching chicks this time of year in this heat has not worked well in the past, so I just take them off the nest every time I'm out there, and make them move around til they unfluff and unpancake, and start eating, foraging, etc. At least this way they don't lose so much weight while they are broody. About half the time they give up in a week or two with just this.