New layer went broody and stopped laying after only 8 or 10 eggs

[FoosterRooster]

One of our new layers is a Mottled Java. She started laying on about the first of September and laid an egg a day. After about only ten days, she didn't lay for a couple of days, then laid one more and quit entirely and got broody. Now for the last two weeks she has been camped out in one of the nesting boxes and trying to guard the other girls eggs.
Two of the other three 5 month old hens are laying every day, and I am expecting the freeloader to start any day.
She is sitting in there day and night and hardly ever comes out even to eat or drink. She still looks healthy although I think she has lost a little weight.

So I guess my question is, do I just wait her out or is there something I should do to break the broodiness?

We are still pretty new to this so any advice would be terrific.
Thanks everyone!

 

[gryeyes]

Find some fertile eggs for her to hatch.

Or, get her some day old chicks to mother.

(I prefer the natural way of "breaking" broodiness by fulfilling the wannabe mom's desires.)

 

[Nostalchic]

You could probably do a search and come up with lots of advice, but I'll give you the quick and dirty. You can try picking up all the eggs frequently and taking her off the nest whenever she's on there, take her outside, give her some treats. Cover the nests at night, don't let her sleep there (she'll be upset!). They don't tend to hang in there with it as long this time of year as they do in the spring in my experience, and she may give it up. But what you might have to resort to if she is really tenacious is to put her in a wire bottom cage or something where she has no bedding and air can flow under her, with food and water, of course. This could be in the coop, she doesn't have to be removed from the flock. But this is what is sometimes takes, and in a few days she should snap out of it.

 

[kateseidel]

We have a "broody Ethel" who is nesting day and night. As long as she stays healthy and friendly, we are just letting her be. She sounds scarey and growls, but is still our cuddly sweet hen. I pick her up twice a day and take her outside where she runs around, pecks a bit, then heads back in for her day job sitting on eggs. Hopefully it won't last too long, the other hens are irritated that she is hoarding the best nest!!