One stubborn hen!!!!!!!

[Mvan42]

Ok so I posted a while back about a 3 year hen who had gone broody for the first time. We she is still broody. We have removed her from the coop daily, she would stay out all day but back in the nest box at night. We did everything possible to break her but nope. SHE IS STUBBORN!!!!! We gave up, gave her eggs well they weren't fertile.. (both boys are young) she still hasn't given up. So she now has a few (6) more eggs. The boys have been working the girls (just sold one last weekend) so hopefully she will get one baby out of the eggs this time. First time I have had a hen this determined to hatch eggs.. just had to share...

 

[Offshoreorca]

Oh dear. We have a young silkie like that and we just let her hatch a clutch as she was determined to sit. Our Cochins we don’t have much trouble breaking from their broodiness, but it sounds like you’ve had quite the time with your hen! Is this the first time you’ve noticed her so determined to brood over her three years? They say older hens make better mothers.

 

[Mvan42]

This is the first time she has ever went broody.. her sisters have brood every year but not her.

 

[Mvan42]

Candled just to check the eggs.. looks like she might just end up a mama this time.. one is developing for sure its only day three and there is clear development....

 

[rosemarythyme]

Next time try caging her up immediately upon identifying broodiness signs, with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[Mvan42]

Next time try caging her up immediately upon identifying broodiness signs, with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

Did this for over a week.. then gave up. The main reason I was trying to break her is I had no fertile eggs..

 

[Callender Girl]

If she's that determined to be a mom, maybe she will be the Best Mom Ever once her babies hatch.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Did this for over a week.. then gave up. The main reason I was trying to break her is I had no fertile eggs..

In an ideal setting, she'd be kept caged at night, which is perhaps not possible for you to safely do. But it seems being able to keep them 100% from sitting on the nest, and doing it early, is the most reliable way of breaking them.

In very extreme cases, there probably are some birds that are so determined to set, that they don't want to break for anything, and will continue setting well beyond the normal timeframe (more than a month).