Need to stop a broody hen, pls help.

[Redberry]

I read the post about the broody hen, but I do not have a rooster. Michell, my Marron hybrid is just sitting and sitting. How do I stop this! I am worried she will overheat or starve to death.

 

[danniboi1990]

she shouldn't starve to death.. she should be getting off the nest once a day to eat and go to the bathroom.. ensure the broody coop is in the shade

to break your broody girl.. make her nest a little uncomfortable to sit in.. some use chicken wire. not with sharp ends so its dangerous and sharp, just so its uncomfortable to sit on. ive never tried this method so i dont know the outcome.. but its worth a try i spose

good luck

 

[Redberry]

Typical! She is off now! Thanks for the advice, if she does it again, I willl try it.

 

[Judy]

I take mine off the nest and nudge them til they get moving and eat, every time I'm in the coop, to try to keep their joints limber and prevent some of the weight loss. Also, occasionally one won't get up on her own, so this ensures they all do. I do this even if I'm expecting them to hatch some chicks.

Putting them in a wire cage with no nesting material and propped so there is air flow under them is the traditional way to break them. This always sounds mean to me but probably it really isn't, as they are in a sort of a trance when broody. Hopefully when they get restless, they are through with it. I had one give up yesterday who'd been sitting on air for 3 or 4 weeks. I just took her off the nest as above. This is how it usually goes here.

 

[ky-chicken-farmer]

i will take a broody and move her to a wire cage by herself. The cage is raised about 4 inches to let air circulate under her. Keep plenty of food and cold water supplied dont add any nesting material or it will take longer to break her. Normally on the 3rd day she is broke and ready to return to the flock

 

[ailurophile23]

Quote:
X2! This has worked perfectly every time for me. I keep the broody breaker cage in the run so the hen is still around the flock - they get a little aggitated but by day 3, no more broody.

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
Exactly how we deal with it and usually the broodiness stops after a week or so of bothering her out of her nest, but some are very stubborn and can take much longer. One sure gets given the stink eye when going in to disturb a broody and the growl is something else.

 

[NCchicken]

Yup, I have a broody jail too. It works great. By day three they (yes sometimes more than one are in jail together) are good to go back to the flock.