Need some broody-breaking advice

[NickyPick]

Roberta went broody about a week ago. I just can't deal with more chicks now and don't want to risk hatching them for someone else who will back out at the last minute, so, after 5 days, I chucked her into the new playhouse coop. I put just enough shavings in there to help with the poop, but not enough to nest with. Today is the 2nd day for her to be in there and she is spending more time up on the roost than down on the floor, so I was thinking this is working, right? Every time I go up to the windows, she puffs up and growls at me! Can I assume that she's not broken yet? Should I wait until an egg shows up or until she stops being so mad?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If she's spending most of her time on the roost, I would think that's a good thing. Leave her there until she stops acting like a turd. I put my broodies in a wire bottom cage with no shavings, or, if its warm enough, I dip their fannies in some cool water. Works every time. Good luck!

 

[azygous]

She may be broken by this time. The tried and true method for determining if a hen is still broody is to turn her loose and see if she makes a beeline back for a nest and plants herself in it.

I get my broodies the minute they lay their "final egg" and begin the nest sit. The final egg is usually laid around three days from the time the broody begins the broody "whoop", a low, fussy clucking unlike normal clucking.

I use an open mesh-bottom cage with a fan blowing under it at night. It takes no more than three days to break a broody this way. I've had no luck with dunking in cold water or having them sit on an ice pack.

I have an eight-month old SS pullet broody right now for her second time. She's such a broody cage pro, she willingly walked into the cage last night for her first night on the fan. She's now in her cage out in the run with the others. Tonight she'll be back in the cage in the garage on the fan, and most probably will be cured by morning.

 

[NickyPick]

Thanks. I'm going to put her back with the flock tomorrow and we'll see what she does. She left a dog sized poop up on the roost for me to clean!

 

[galanie]

I know what you really meant but I was picturing a poo the size of a dog. Sometimes they are! I'm about to add a fan to my broody breaker cage. I have one now that has been in there 4 days already and isn't broken. First one ever to do that. Not many do have luck with the water dunking thing. After all, it only cools then off temporarily. Their bellies need cooling longer than that normally to be broken.

 

[NickyPick]

Yay! It worked. I put Roberta back with the flock on Sunday afternoon and she hasn't camped out in the nest box since. I hope no one else goes broody as the new chicks will be moving into the playhouse this weekend and I won't be able to use that coop for broody-breaking anymore.

 

[galanie]

I put that fan on her fanny and my broody is still sitting tight. I wish I could break her! I don't want her raising babies cause she's a terrible mom. I let her hatch some the first time and she never looked after them well. Maybe just some more time with the fan will do it.