Need Help With Broody Hen !!!!!!!!!!

[chica57]

I'm having a problem with Rosie-my speckled sussex-she has been on the nest for 3 weeks now-she does come out at night to roam and eat-I noticed the other hens will try to peck at her when she walks by-but the other day we took her off her nest to give the coop some revisions inside and clean -well she started a fight with my buff- I mean a REAL FIGHT-never saw anything like it-I grabbed Rosie and put her in a cage and thats where I have her now (about 5 days) shes not any better and my darling bf wants to give her away-we don't want chicks-just the eggs-but I can't have her fighting either-I did find one of my buffs dead about 2 months ago & was clueless on what happened-hmmmmm.-also the buff she was fighting just went broody too!!!! Help please!!!!

 

[elmo]

Broody hens can develop very strong instincts to protect their chicks...even when there happen to be no actual chicks. I had to separate my three broody hens for the same reason. Once they had raised their clutches they went back to being their normal selves.

Since you don't want to raise chicks, I think your best bet might be to discourage the broodiness of this hen. There are various ways to discourage broodiness. Some hens give up pretty easily if you simply take them off the nest repeatedly. Others are more determined, and need to be put in a wire bottom cage with no nesting materials, but with food and water, for a couple of days.

 

[lindalu]

I have a very broody hen, we no longer have a rooster and haven't had for a couple of months, but this hen, a comet, has been sitting on an empty nest for over 3 weeks, I had no idea how to get her to stop till this post so thanks! I will take her off the nest. Does anyone know if she will start laying again soon?

 

[chica57]

THANK YOU!!!!! Like I said she is in a cage but right now I'm going to remove everything on the bottom-was that also the reason for the big "Chick Fight?" Thanks Again !!!!

 

[BigSkyChickens]

I had a chronically broody Cochin earlier this year, and while she was broody, she was REALLY mean to the other girls (she's normally kinda shy).

So yes, it's possible the broodiness might have resulted in fighting.

Make sure there is air flowing at the bottom of the cage - you want her underside to stay cool - Good luck "breaking" your girl of her broodiness.

 

[alaskachick]

We mamas just have that instict. It's a good thing!

 

[chica57]

Thank You !!!!!!!!