Potential new way to break broodiness

[JnAP]

Folks below me answered very well. I don't wait for "2 nights in nest" if they're puffed up like a pine cone but squash as flat as can be in the nest, and making the ticking time bomb sound, that's broody enough for me to toss 'em in the breaker.

Also I didn't have a crate for years. Preventing them from getting back to the nest is the main thing. I've used a dog exercise pen, an overturned tea cart wrapped in chicken wire (janky but did the job), even my chick brooder, as breakers.

Question. How long do you leave them in broody jail and how do you know when they're ready to come out?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Question. How long do you leave them in broody jail and how do you know when they're ready to come out?

The usual suggestion is to start with 48 hours. If they're still showing very obvious broody signs, no reason to even test them, just keep them in another 24 hours.

When you go to test if broodiness has broken, just let the hen out - and then check back on her in about an hour. Most of them will wander around when first released, but if they're still broody they'll sneak back into the nest after they've had a look around. If the hen returns to the nest, she's not broken - back into the breaker for another 24 hours before retesting.

 

[aart]

How long do you leave them in broody jail and how do you know when they're ready to come out?

@rosemarythyme explained it well.

When you go to test if broodiness has broken, just let the hen out - and then check back on her in about an hour.

I like to let them out about an hour before roosting time.
Then if they are on the roost after dark,YAY!!
If back in the nest, they go back in the crate.

 

[JnAP]

@rosemarythyme explained it well.

I like to let them out about an hour before roosting time.
Then if they are on the roost after dark,YAY!!
If back in the nest, they go back in the crate.

Thank you @rosemarythyme and @aart !

 

[Vicker]

Maybe you caught her early enough to nip it in the bud. That's great. I've dealt with some broody BO's before, but I'll tell you what---Black Australorps sure give me a run for my money. It seems that when one goes, they all go. I only have one dog crate. I've got a garden wagon made of expanded metal. It works great with a hoop covering made of chicken wire. Sometimes it takes 2 weeks of broody jail and a few good soakings of the undercarriage to cool down the most stubborn ones.

 

[interior_ocean]

That's actually a traditional method of breaking boodiness—not letting the bird lay down.

Back in the day they'd use something called a breaking-up coop that you'd hang from the ceiling, one rope attached to the corners. You give the broody hens water but only a little feed. The coop would swing and tilt slightly so the hens would be forced to roost and couldn't lay down. If intervened early most would break within a few days.