PLEASE HELP: Running Out of Options with Broody

[Acre4Me]

Good to hear! Hopefully you can break her. All good advice. Dunking in cold water can help.

We’ve had a broody we accidentally broke! we were getting chicks, she had been broody a couple of weeks, so we moved her to the brooder with a nest. We didn’t think to cover the wire top to keep the light low in there (covering half of the top where nest is located). So, the new location in brighter light, away from the flock broke that chicken pretty quickly - much to our disappointment.

recently, we’ve had a couple go intense broody. We don’t need a broody, so we take them to a separate pen, in sight of the run, but not next to it, not adjoining. We give them fresh food and water, with yummy seed filled scratch that even a broody has a hard time resisting. Usually they eat and drink and perk up. They go back to the coop at night, with nest boxes closed off. So far, a few days in the separate pen during the day, with fresh tempting food has helped the broodies snap out of it. They are not with their flock, but want to be. They are eating and drinking more than when they sit, so have more energy, they do not have a nest. So, it is several factors that act together to push them back to normalcy. Yours seems to be very stubborn, so hopefully you can get her back to normal health and activity!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Good to hear! Hopefully you can break her. All good advice. Dunking in cold water can help.

We’ve had a broody we accidentally broke! we were getting chicks, she had been broody a couple of weeks, so we moved her to the brooder with a nest. We didn’t think to cover the wire top to keep the light low in there (covering half of the top where nest is located). So, the new location in brighter light, away from the flock broke that chicken pretty quickly - much to our disappointment.

recently, we’ve had a couple go intense broody. We don’t need a broody, so we take them to a separate pen, in sight of the run, but not next to it, not adjoining. We give them fresh food and water, with yummy seed filled scratch that even a broody has a hard time resisting. Usually they eat and drink and perk up. They go back to the coop at night, with nest boxes closed off. So far, a few days in the separate pen during the day, with fresh tempting food has helped the broodies snap out of it. They are not with their flock, but want to be. They are eating and drinking more than when they sit, so have more energy, they do not have a nest. So, it is several factors that act together to push them back to normalcy. Yours seems to be very stubborn, so hopefully you can get her back to normal health and activity!

All good advice. Normally, I have no problem breaking broodies. It's just this one. No food tempts her - not scrambled eggs, not worms, not BOSS, not mash. We've already brought her in a couple of nights, but when she didn't improve, we put her back out to get that big angry chicken out of our living room - lol! I've never seen a broody so freaking determined.

We'll see.....

 

[humblehillsfarm]

All good advice. Normally, I have no problem breaking broodies. It's just this one. No food tempts her - not scrambled eggs, not worms, not BOSS, not mash. We've already brought her in a couple of nights, but when she didn't improve, we put her back out to get that big angry chicken out of our living room - lol! I've never seen a broody so freaking determined.

We'll see.....

I know how overwhelming this is. I would have tried to introduce the chicks again, but obviously it's too late for that and I wouldn't run out and get more chicks. Occasionally a broody starts to phase out of broodiness if they've been broody an extended period of time, although a month isn't all that "extended." I have no other suggestions except keep doing what you're doing. I'd read up on tube feeding though to help get her weight up. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I had four broodies all at once last week, broke three of them, but my all-star broody is still broody after five days of trying to break her. She's just turned three and has raised three batches of chicks, and has been broken of broodiness more than a dozen times. All during that time I had to put down a guinea keet, have another on antibiotics for bumblefoot, and yet another that had a mildly impacted crop. I often find myself asking why do I do these things? But I love my girls, and the good usually outweighs the bad. This, too, shall pass.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I know how overwhelming this is. I would have tried to introduce the chicks again, but obviously it's too late for that and I wouldn't run out and get more chicks. Occasionally a broody starts to phase out of broodiness if they've been broody an extended period of time, although a month isn't all that "extended." I have no other suggestions except keep doing what you're doing. I'd read up on tube feeding though to help get her weight up. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I had four broodies all at once last week, broke three of them, but my all-star broody is still broody after five days of trying to break her. She's just turned three and has raised three batches of chicks, and has been broken of broodiness more than a dozen times. All during that time I had to put down a guinea keet, have another on antibiotics for bumblefoot, and yet another that had a mildly impacted crop. I often find myself asking why do I do these things? But I love my girls, and the good usually outweighs the bad. This, too, shall pass.

I know it will. I just get overwhelmed sometimes with everything. You really understand where I'm coming from: chicken issues, the goats and their constant needs, gardening, house upkeep, career demands. It wouldn't be so much if I wasn't juggling this with a career. It should get better when I start my new position in the fall (my commute will drop from 3 hours a day to about 15 minutes).

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I know it will. I just get overwhelmed sometimes with everything. You really understand where I'm coming from: chicken issues, the goats and their constant needs, gardening, house upkeep, career demands. It wouldn't be so much if I wasn't juggling this with a career. It should get better when I start my new position in the fall (my commute will drop from 3 hours a day to about 15 minutes).

Oh I feel your pain even more. I used to have a daily two hour commute. Now it is about an hour and 20 minutes, which is still a big improvement. I love my little farm life more and more and love my career less and less. If only cuddling chickens was a paid job!

I hope things do improve for you.

 

[HollyBerrie]

I've had broodies for months at a time. What I do is simply take the hen off of the nest once a day so that she can eat and drink, go potty, take a dust bath. Eventually she will break, so don't worry too much.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh I feel your pain even more. I used to have a daily two hour commute. Now it is about an hour and 20 minutes, which is still a big improvement. I love my little farm life more and more and love my career less and less. If only cuddling chickens was a paid job!

I hope things do improve for you.

Holy cow! I guess it's the price we pay to have our little farms, eh? The scales are also tipping in favor of home vs. career, I tell you what. Wish I'd married money!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Wish I'd married money!

Seriously though. Those chooks need to start picking up the slack some.

 

[Painted Calls]

I used to breed BC's. They are just as broody as Silkies but don't break themselves.

Was 5 days the longest you had her in jail?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I used to breed BC's. They are just as broody as Silkies but don't break themselves.

Was 5 days the longest you had her in jail?

No. She'd been in jail for a month. I took her out for a few days (I think 3?) to get he settled in the nest again for the chicks.