Oh no, she's gone broody again

[Lucysmom002]

My hen that went broody in spring has gone broody again. She's sitting in the box, screams at us when we go in there. She has no eggs and won't get out. She comes out to eat very briefly, runs around like a nut and runs quickly back to the box.
We had her sit on fertile eggs in spring and she hatched out 2 chicks and was happy for awhile. She even started laying again.
What to do?

 

[klmclain1]

I had my first broody last week. Got out the wire dog kennel, put it up on a couple of 2x4's (so it sat two inches off the ground), put a piece of hardware cloth on the bottom so she could walk around easily, grabbed her butt outta the coop - screaming and growling - and put her in it. Every day, I let her out for a dust bath and run around but watched her very closely. If she went back to the next (and sometimes it took an hour), I grabbed her butt again - screams and all - and put her back in the kennel. Took 5 days - but then she was done! She's back in with the other girls now. Worked great!

 

[magicpigeon]

Gaah! I hate it when they do that! I just chuck mine out of the broody spot whenever I see them. After a few days they get the hint

 

[pgpoultry]

The dog crate treatment usually works, but I am too much of a softy. I have a hen on her third hatch this year.....she has only laid about 15 eggs all season. I hope the crate works for you, meanwhile my Dark Brahma swamps her two eggs.

 

[stormylady]

My Diamond (white silkie) just hatched out 5 chicks 8 weeks ago, and before I knew it she had layed 7 more eggs and was trying to sit on them, She is still mothering her 8 week olds! and in the same pen with them, what in the world was she thinking! Anyway I take eggs away from her everytime she lays now and she fights me tooth and nail, (her eggs couldn't possibly be fertile she hasn't been bred in over 12 weeks). Anyway she is slowly giving up on a new brood, maybe I should take her out and put her back in with her sisters?

 

[pgpoultry]

By the way the dog crate does not always work. My Dark Brahma CHOSE this cat crate to go broody in. (I've since given her bedding and two eggs).

 

[Lucysmom002]

Well I figure something is messed up with her hormones or whatever. She obviously isn't normal. I throw her out to eat whenever I go out there and if that's what she wants to do then she can sit there, I guess. I'm not hatching anymore babies since I have my limit now and don't want to worry about re homing them.
The only other thing I can try is just letting her sit on fake eggs for 21 days. ughgh

 

[Judy]

I've had little success breaking them. I get them off the nest every time I'm in the coop, and nudge them til they start moving around, eating, etc. It doesn't necessarily stop them any sooner, but at least they get a little more exercise and food.

I can't think of a reason that fake eggs would encourage them to stop.

I won't put the food and water close by. I feel they need the exercise.

 

[pontoosuc]

In my case I think it's learned behavior!

currently have 3 hens sitting on 12 eggs. This will be my fourth hatch of the summer!

It all started with one hen hatching 10 babies. She went broody after 5 weeks of hatch (laid one egg) in between
broodiness. When she went the second time I had three others go with her. Could not break them.

She hatched 1 more, another hatched 6, and I still have 3 sitting.

Thank goodness I have homes for all babies!! but egg production is way down. All of the people buying my eggs asking.

It was an absolute blessing to have the first one go broody and to witness the entire process.

I'm done. The dog crate is coming out in two weeks!