Should I let my broody have some eggs?

[SnootyHen]

I have an Olive Egger who is almost constantly broody. Worse in the spring and summer but she even goes broody in the winter when it's in the single digits. I am toying with letting her have a few eggs once it warms up but will that scratch her itch or just make her want to do it more? I'm pretty close to max capacity in my coop. I can probably manage a few more without trouble but this has to be a one time thing or I'll have crowding issues. Would you give her a few eggs and let her play house or keep playing this broody-breaking game forever?

 

[nuthatched]

It's not really an itch to scratch, it's hormones. My australorps were constantly broody, I even put large river rocks in their nests to keep them from setting, all I ended up with is very warm rocks.
It depends if you want chicks....

 

[SnootyHen]

It's not really an itch to scratch, it's hormones. My australorps were constantly broody, I even put large river rocks in their nests to keep them from setting, all I ended up with is very warm rocks.
It depends if you want chicks....

Yeah, I've tried broody jail, ice packs under her, carrying her around with me to keep her out of the box...she insists she needs to be a mommy. I don't even have a rooster so all her sitting is just a waste of time and she's hogging the favorite nesting box which irritates the rest of them. I just thought maybe if I let her actually hatch a few, she'd get over it and not want to do it again. But if she loves it, it might make her even worse!

 

[Chookchicken]

If you want chicks I’d let her hatch them. If you don’t then letting her hatch chicks won’t help her be broody less. Letting her hatch chicks shouldn’t mean that she is broody more often. I tend to find the ones that want to hatch chicks the most often make the best mothers.

 

[aart]

I've tried broody jail

Did this work and she went broody again?

 

[OzarkChooks]

I had a green queen who was always broody. After months of unsuccessfully trying to break her, I finally relented. She hatched out 7 babies and was such a good momma. It was very cute to watch. If you don't mind some extra chicks, I say go for it.

 

[SnootyHen]

If you want chicks I’d let her hatch them. If you don’t then letting her hatch chicks won’t help her be broody less. Letting her hatch chicks shouldn’t mean that she is broody more often. I tend to find the ones that want to hatch chicks the most often make the best mothers.

Who doesn't want chicks? But I just can't let her do it more than once without over-crowding.

 

[SnootyHen]

Did this work and she went broody again?

Yes. She usually breaks and then goes broody again in a week or 2 in the spring and summer. She gave it a rest most of the fall but started puffing up and shrieking a few times this winter. She broke on her own those times but I'm sure once we're warmer, it will start up again.

 

[SnootyHen]

I had a green queen who was always broody. After months of unsuccessfully trying to break her, I finally relented. She hatched out 7 babies and was such a good momma. It was very cute to watch. If you don't mind some extra chicks, I say go for it.

That's kind of where I am leaning. She's a sweet girl (when she's not broody) and she really seems to want this. The other hens will occasionally mimick her but they give it up after an hour or two. She just keeps at it!

 

[aart]

Yes. She usually breaks and then goes broody again in a week or 2 in the spring and summer. She gave it a rest most of the fall but started puffing up and shrieking a few times this winter. She broke on her own those times but I'm sure once we're warmer, it will start up again.

I had one like that, broke her 7 times after letting her hatch.
Finally gave her away, she never went broody again.