Prevention of broodiness???

[Murdy]

Good day all! In all of my searching here and through the rest of the interwebs, I don't see anything... but I'll ask anyways.

Are there proactive tricks that can help prevent a hen from going broody in the first place? I have no issue breaking them of it when it happens, but it seems to happen WAY too often. Can I prevent it somehow before they stop laying? Are there signs that I can watch for that will allow me to nip in in the bud before it is full on?

I work out of town and am gone for a week at a time. I hate asking my roomate for any more favors than I have to, and he doesn't like seeing the girls in cages.... so I'd like to try to be proactive rather than reactive if possible.


Foolish me, I now have Orpingtons AND Cochins... so I'm likely screwed. Hahaha! I just love how floofy they are!! My 1 orpington was broke of brooding, and not much more than a week later she's sitting. Ugh.

 

[cherrynberry]

Good day all! In all of my searching here and through the rest of the interwebs, I don't see anything... but I'll ask anyways.

Are there proactive tricks that can help prevent a hen from going broody in the first place? I have no issue breaking them of it when it happens, but it seems to happen WAY too often. Can I prevent it somehow before they stop laying? Are there signs that I can watch for that will allow me to nip in in the bud before it is full on?

I work out of town and am gone for a week at a time. I hate asking my roomate for any more favors than I have to, and he doesn't like seeing the girls in cages.... so I'd like to try to be proactive rather than reactive if possible.


Foolish me, I now have Orpingtons AND Cochins... so I'm likely screwed. Hahaha! I just love how floofy they are!! My 1 orpington was broke of brooding, and not much more than a week later she's sitting. Ugh.

Roll out egg trays if you cant collect eggs manually.

 

[sourland]

Broody breeds are going to go broody. You might consider gradually phasing out your hens as they become aged and replace them with non broody breeds.

 

[Murdy]

Broody breeds are going to go broody. You might consider gradually phasing out your hens as they become aged and replace them with non broody breeds.

Yeah... Mistakes have been made in planning.

 

[Murdy]

Roll out egg trays if you cant collect eggs manually.

The orpington goes broody with or without eggs in the boxes... Not sure that would help.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broody breeds are going to go broody. You might consider gradually phasing out your hens as they become aged and replace them with non broody breeds.

x2. Unfortunately with broody breeds, you're more likely to have this issue.

I don't know of any way of preventing broodiness. I'm pretty good at recognizing the signs of an incoming broody cycle, but there's nothing you can really do before they broody other than get the breaker cage set up and ready to go.

 

[Murdy]

x2. Unfortunately with broody breeds, you're more likely to have this issue.

I don't know of any way of preventing broodiness. I'm pretty good at recognizing the signs of an incoming broody cycle, but there's nothing you can really do before they broody other than get the breaker cage set up and ready to go.

Where the "dislike" button when you need it? Hahaha!

Yeah.... After a bunch of google searching turned up nothing, I was afraid of that. Oh well... She's lucky she's got personality!

 

[Happy hen lover]

Same here

x2. Unfortunately with broody breeds, you're more likely to have this issue.

I don't know of any way of preventing broodiness. I'm pretty good at recognizing the signs of an incoming broody cycle, but there's nothing you can really do before they broody other than get the breaker cage set up and ready to g

 

[Happy hen lover]

Same here

Rosemary do you leave them in cage day and night? I just put my first girl in jail.

 

[Murdy]

Rosemary do you leave them in cage day and night? I just put my first girl in jail.

Depending on the hen, I leave them in for 1.5-3 days. Overnight, yes. If you let them out and they go straight back to the nest... Back to jail.

I watched a video recently where the guy was saying they'll puff up and potentially squawk/growl at you if they're still broody. I'll be watching for this next time.