Overly Broody Hen

[RLynn]

I have an overly Broody Hen at the moment. Thankfully she only puffs up and does not attack our hands. We have been trying to ‘break’ her of this behavior with just about every method. The ice packs, cold bath, isolating in a crate, taking her out of the nest box repeatedly. Nothing is working in the least. She’s very stubborn. We let her hatch two clutches last year and she truly is the best Momma Hen anyone could want. However we are unable to have more chicks at the moment and it’s just not good timing at all. Any other suggestions? Anyone else have a hen like this that just went back to normal behavior if they don’t hatch an egg after about 3 weeks?

 

[sourland]

For how long have you been isolating her in the crate? It can take a week or more to break broodiness.

 

[rosemarythyme]

For how long have you been isolating her in the crate? It can take a week or more to break broodiness.

x2. Also how quickly do you crate her, and are you strict about keeping her in there around the clock, or is she being allowed out (whether at night for safety, or because you feel bad for her, etc)?

 

[azygous]

Strangely, broodiness hasn't got much to do with eggs. It has more to do with the sticking power of broody hormones. While some broody hens "take the hint" after pulling them off the nest several times, more often it requires the ritual of the broody cage.

Locking a broody hen in a cage with an open mesh floor allows cooling air to circulate under her, cooling down her body temperature, and this is what causes the broody hormones to lose their grip.

On warm days that aren't cool enough to lower the body temp of the broody, a fan pointed to blow cool air under the broody will help. It takes a minimum usually of three days in the cage day and night to interrupt the hormones and return the broody back to normal.

The popular quick fixes such as putting an ice pack under a broody on a nest or dunking her in cold water do not work and are a waste of time as well as borderline cruel. It's the cage if you are serious about stopping a hen from being broody.

 

[RLynn]

For how long have you been isolating her in the crate? It can take a week or more to break broodiness.

Strangely, broodiness hasn't got much to do with eggs. It has more to do with the sticking power of broody hormones. While some broody hens "take the hint" after pulling them off the nest several times, more often it requires the ritual of the broody cage.

Locking a broody hen in a cage with an open mesh floor allows cooling air to circulate under her, cooling down her body temperature, and this is what causes the broody hormones to lose their grip.

On warm days that aren't cool enough to lower the body temp of the broody, a fan pointed to blow cool air under the broody will help. It takes a minimum usually of three days in the cage day and night to interrupt the hormones and return the broody back to normal.

The popular quick fixes such as putting an ice pack under a broody on a nest or dunking her in cold water do not work and are a waste of time as well as borderline cruel. It's the cage if you are serious about stopping a hen from being broody.

oh I’d never dunk her head under water, that’s horrible

It’s been three days. So maybe I need to give it more time.

 

[aart]

It’s been three days. So maybe I need to give it more time.

.....and is she in there 24/7?
Is the crate mesh bottomed and raised off the floor/ground?

 

[Nomadicus]

Would it be possible to let her set on eggs for a friend that does want chicks?