Ok to wait out a Broody hen?

[anwhite]

We had a hen go broody this afternoon. We don't have a rooster, so eggs are unfertilized. The last few days, we have been able to get her out of the nest, and she would go about her day acting like a normal chicken, but today was different. She made a beeline straight back to the nest after we got her out. I have read about a broody breaker (wire cage), but a friend just tried that with her chicken, and it hasn't been successful after nearly a week, and I'm not set up at all for it. Another suggestion I got from a long time chicken keeper was to put one of the eggs that has been refrigerated (unfertilized) under her, and when it starts to rot in a few days, it should trigger in her that her hatch was unsuccessful, and break her broodiness. It is going to be 107 degrees tomorrow, and 110 for most of next week, and we already lost one chicken to the heat. (Phoenix, AZ area) Is there anything wrong with waiting her out? The chickens only use the coop for roosting and nesting, and spend their day free-ranging.

Help! These chickens are totally stressing me out!

 

[nchls school]

We had a hen go broody this afternoon. We don't have a rooster, so eggs are unfertilized.  The last few days, we have been able to get her out of the nest, and she would go about her day acting like a normal chicken, but today was different.  She made a beeline straight back to the nest after we got her out.  I have read about a broody breaker (wire cage), but a friend just tried that with her chicken, and it hasn't been successful after nearly a week, and I'm not set up at all for it.  Another suggestion I got from a long time chicken keeper was to put one of the eggs that has been refrigerated (unfertilized) under her, and when it starts to rot in a few days, it should trigger in her that her hatch was unsuccessful, and break her broodiness.  It is going to be 107 degrees tomorrow, and 110 for most of next week, and we already lost one chicken to the heat. (Phoenix, AZ area) Is there anything wrong with waiting her out?  The chickens only use the coop for roosting and nesting, and spend their day free-ranging. 

Help! These chickens are totally stressing me out!

You can try waiting her out; that's what I do with my silkies; after a month they go back to laying and the whole cycle begins again. However, many hens will continue brooding for months. I can remember one, when I was young and on the family farm, that brooded continually for three months. In the end the hen was given fertile eggs to hatch.

Rotten eggs will not stop broodiness. I'd let her brood for a couple weeks and then lock her out of the nest or coop during the day. It usually works after a number of days.