overnighting a broody

[odysseychicken]

I don't have a broody hen right now but want to be prepared for when I do. I have a Buff Orpington who spends so much time in the nest box when laying her eggs that I have thought she was going broody a few times. Today she layed her egg, went outside for a few minutes, then went back into the coop and sat on the fake egg I have in another nest box. She was very upset at me when I pushed her off and took it. She eventually went back outside to join the flock. I suspect she will be the first to go broody.

My question is this, when breaking a broody hen in a cage do you keep them in it overnight? My cage will be set up in the attached run because the coop is only 4x4. Is it going to freak her out to be outside all night by herself?

 

[azygous]

I have a broody in a cage in my run right now. She's been there for two days, and this will be her second night. This broody is such a hard case that in the past it's required as long as ten days (and as many nights) to break her.

My coops are small, designed only for roosting and there is no room for anything else. So, my broodies spend the night in the cage in the run. What I do, though, is throw a blanket, or in summer, a light sheet, over the cage to give the broody a sense of cover which calms her and makes her feel secure, even though no other chickens are out there with her.

The plaid cloth the chicks are resting on unfolds to cover the cage, not completely, just the top and sides. In the beginning of spring, this same hen went broody and it was below freezing so I put a friend in the cage to help keep her warm.

You really need to keep the broody in the cage until she's over being broody. If you interrupt the treatment by letting her go back into the coop at night, she will probably get in a nest box, and it just makes things take that much longer.

 

[aart]

@azygous does your run have a solid roof...and is very secure predator proof-wise?


@odysseychicken if your run is not predator proof and/or protected from the weather....could you bring the broody cage into a garage or the house?