Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[kabhyper1]

I have 3 broodies that I don't want to be broody. Grrrr. I just got done hatching chicks for awhile and have no room for more right now. Even one of my wheaten marans is broody. I am no good at breaking them, but I cant let them hatch right now. Help!!! Lol

 

[Sydney Acres]

I have 3 broodies that I don't want to be broody. Grrrr. I just got done hatching chicks for awhile and have no room for more right now. Even one of my wheaten marans is broody. I am no good at breaking them, but I cant let them hatch right now. Help!!! Lol

Here's a cut and paste of my favorite way to break broodies:

"The wire bottom cage is the best known gold standard for breaking a brood, but my main breed (Red Dorking) is a very heavy hen that broods frequently, so I didn't want them on wire. I tried many of the other well known techniques and nothing worked. Eventually I found a very reliable technique that doesn't require a wire bottom cage, but works just as well.

Build a small wire run. Mine is about 30" wide, 30" high, and 5' long. It is made out of 1X2" welded wire, just four side panels held together by cable ties (it could be made out of other materials, but this is very stable because of the frequent welds, and has lasted for almost 10 years). The top is divided into two parts. Half is attached by cable ties on the sides and one end. The other half is about 4" longer than the remaining opening on top. One end is cable tied onto the first half (the only remaining unattached edge of the top's first half, spanning across the center of the run), so that it can open and close like a hatch. The other end has the extra length bent down over the end side panel so that the hatch doesn't fall down into the run. I prevent the hatch from opening with a simple latch, which isn't usually necessary, but one hen years ago figured out that she could get out of the run by repeatedly flying up into the hatch until it opened. There is no bottom on the run. It is very lightweight, very secure, and easy to move. It was easy and cheap to build, and can be disassembled and stored flat when not in use, if desired.

My birds free range. I put the run somewhere on the property where the broody cannot see her nest, or anything near her nest. I chose an area that is protected from the weather so she won't get too hot, too cold, or wet, and is very safe from predators and harassment. There should ideally be some dirt to dustbathe, and some grass to graze, but that's not essential. What is absolutely necessary is that there not be anything on the ground that can be used to build a nest -- no leaves, no straw, no shavings, no dry grass, no bedding of any kind. Just food, water, plain ground or lawn to sit on, enough room to pace a little as the brood starts to transition out, and no reminder or sight of her nest or eggs. At night I put her in a pet carrier with cardboard on the bottom, covered with a towel, and put her in the garage (or barn, or coop, or spare bedroom -- just somewhere that is no where near her nest, and is 100% predator proof). I've had 100% success at breaking broods with this method, with 90% of hens taking 3-4 days, and the remaining hens taking either 2 or 5-6 days. And no wire pressed into the plucked, bare brood spot on their chest."

After that post, I got several PM's and one post on the thread saying that it worked perfectly. But it does take typically 3-4 days, and once up to 6 days, so don't give up too early. I once had a bird that had always taken 3 days to break her brood, but that time seemed to be done after the second day. So on day three I let her back with the flock instead of putting her in the run. She foraged and flocked with the other birds for almost the entire day, but by the evening she was back on her nest again. I put her back in the coop for the evening, and back in the broody breaking run the next day, expecting that one more day would do it. But apparently the clock gets reset the moment they see their nest, and she took 4 additional days in the run. So now I'm not anxious to get them out of the run. If there's even a hint of broodiness, they stay in. But it's a nice place for them, and it's not forever, so it's definitely worth making sure they're finished.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have 3 broodies that I don't want to be broody. Grrrr. I just got done hatching chicks for awhile and have no room for more right now. Even one of my wheaten marans is broody. I am no good at breaking them, but I cant let them hatch right now. Help!!! Lol

Usually mine will break after three days in the "cage". It's a wire cage I made out of 2x4 wire and wood. There's no hard surface to hang out on, only wire. They get food and water in there and it's elevated on saw horses. It safe enough to leave out for a couple of days and not worry about predators here.

 

[poodlechicks]

Awh, so cute.

Oh my! She was so upset she didn't know who to take it out on!

Thanks! It's hard to take a picture of them; they are all over the place.

 

[poodlechicks]

Here's a cut and paste of my favorite way to break broodies:

"The wire bottom cage is the best known gold standard for breaking a brood, but my main breed (Red Dorking) is a very heavy hen that broods frequently, so I didn't want them on wire. I tried many of the other well known techniques and nothing worked. Eventually I found a very reliable technique that doesn't require a wire bottom cage, but works just as well.

Build a small wire run. Mine is about 30" wide, 30" high, and 5' long. It is made out of 1X2" welded wire, just four side panels held together by cable ties (it could be made out of other materials, but this is very stable because of the frequent welds, and has lasted for almost 10 years). The top is divided into two parts. Half is attached by cable ties on the sides and one end. The other half is about 4" longer than the remaining opening on top. One end is cable tied onto the first half (the only remaining unattached edge of the top's first half, spanning across the center of the run), so that it can open and close like a hatch. The other end has the extra length bent down over the end side panel so that the hatch doesn't fall down into the run. I prevent the hatch from opening with a simple latch, which isn't usually necessary, but one hen years ago figured out that she could get out of the run by repeatedly flying up into the hatch until it opened. There is no bottom on the run. It is very lightweight, very secure, and easy to move. It was easy and cheap to build, and can be disassembled and stored flat when not in use, if desired.

My birds free range. I put the run somewhere on the property where the broody cannot see her nest, or anything near her nest. I chose an area that is protected from the weather so she won't get too hot, too cold, or wet, and is very safe from predators and harassment. There should ideally be some dirt to dustbathe, and some grass to graze, but that's not essential. What is absolutely necessary is that there not be anything on the ground that can be used to build a nest -- no leaves, no straw, no shavings, no dry grass, no bedding of any kind. Just food, water, plain ground or lawn to sit on, enough room to pace a little as the brood starts to transition out, and no reminder or sight of her nest or eggs. At night I put her in a pet carrier with cardboard on the bottom, covered with a towel, and put her in the garage (or barn, or coop, or spare bedroom -- just somewhere that is no where near her nest, and is 100% predator proof). I've had 100% success at breaking broods with this method, with 90% of hens taking 3-4 days, and the remaining hens taking either 2 or 5-6 days. And no wire pressed into the plucked, bare brood spot on their chest."

After that post, I got several PM's and one post on the thread saying that it worked perfectly. But it does take typically 3-4 days, and once up to 6 days, so don't give up too early. I once had a bird that had always taken 3 days to break her brood, but that time seemed to be done after the second day. So on day three I let her back with the flock instead of putting her in the run. She foraged and flocked with the other birds for almost the entire day, but by the evening she was back on her nest again. I put her back in the coop for the evening, and back in the broody breaking run the next day, expecting that one more day would do it. But apparently the clock gets reset the moment they see their nest, and she took 4 additional days in the run. So now I'm not anxious to get them out of the run. If there's even a hint of broodiness, they stay in. But it's a nice place for them, and it's not forever, so it's definitely worth making sure they're finished.

SydneyAcres, I'll try this method with my Haru. She's been broody for about 10 days now and I don't want to put her in a wire cage.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Looks like the chicks will arrive at the post office on Weds @3pm. Busy Weds afternoon with swim meet happening, but I'll be happy to see the chicks.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I don't have a broody, but my life has been basically the same for the past 4 weeks.  I keep hatching chicks out every three weeks, and every three weeks put them in with the flock.  Every night it is the same story, chase the chicks around trying to get them into the coop (and they are big enough to get up the ramp, just don't want to).  Real shocker tonight, I went out and everyone was in bed before the auto door closed.  Whew!  Now, only one more batch to put out in another week and then I'm done until.......December?  Really wish I still had a broody, it would be so much easier.

Haha I know what you mean. It seems like they will NEVER get the ladder or roost and then one day they are there. I still check every night, just to be sure.

 

[HealthyMNmama]

We have two co-broody hens. There are two tiny chicks under them this morning! Yay! (About 2-dozen eggs) I found one dead chick still half in the egg yesterday, so I'm on the lookout for homicidal behavior. I don't have time to go through all 2K+ pages of this thread... Is there an FAQ-spot on what to do as the chicks are hatching and what to do right after? The FAQs at the thread start seemed to refer to starting a hen only.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Just got a text message that the chicks have left the local shipping hub. They may arrive today!

 

[poodlechicks]

Just got a text message that the chicks have left the local shipping hub. They may arrive today!

How exciting!