Hi Gary.
I had one gal spent 2 weeks in the breaker and ALMOST broke me. I ditched the wire bottom for day time use after that and only employ it night time inside the coop.
I'm not a fan of the brutal chill the hen down by dunking her. And it helps (me) to realize that hormones aren't ACTUALLY a choice for the hen and she is having a hard time as well. But I might get her elevated with a block of ice and fan blowing over it like air conditioning. To me this is a very stressful time for the hens.
I now use an open bottom pen on the grass in a high chicken traffic area. My hens pace JUST as hard and are just as mad about being blocked from their preferred location.
Please note that two week stent was shortly after already sitting and raising a brood.
In the end... a can still deal with gals that are broody on occasion and break within a few days when I don't wan't chicks or broody's. But those who are in the breaker every 3rd egg even after just raising a clutch
or for a very long time... They will be rehomed (with disclosure of course).
I would never EVER put bright light on a broody... UNLESS I made sure it was under the amount of standard daylight. Had a Swedish Flower suffer egg binding after returning to lay even though I didn't supplement light. Might not be exactly relevant, but???
One way people choose to "break" their hen is by giving feed store or hatchery chicks. Not an ideal solution for me though.
My set up is essentially the same as
@aart but elevating the breaker even full time during the day did NOT change length of stay for my birds. I still elevate it at night because some gals are clever enough to reach out and grab some bedding to bring in.
One THEORY... (not an actual suggestion) diminishing nutrients might HELP deter broodies... but that AIN'T gonna happen here.
Good luck!
