Should you stop a hen being broody?

[lilypad]

We might have some spare chicken wire somewhere, but I'm not too sure where, will sort the shed out at the weekend and see what I can find.

Thank you x

 

[JackE]

You're welcome. I have two BOs that go broody from time to time. Sometimes it seems that one or the other is always broody. I know about the mayhem caused by one broody hogging the nestbox. You would think with five other boxes there would not be a problem. But noooo, You can hear the arguing and commotion all the way up to the house. Then, I will find eggs just laying out on the coop's floor. Got to get them in the BB (BroodyBuster) quick around here, or it sounds the the end of the world.

 

[lilypad]

You're welcome. I have two BOs that go broody from time to time. Sometimes it seems that one or the other is always broody. I know about the mayhem caused by one broody hogging the nestbox. You would think with five other boxes there would not be a problem. But noooo, You can hear the arguing and commotion all the way up to the house. Then, I will find eggs just laying out on the coop's floor. Got to get them in the BB (BroodyBuster) quick around here, or it sounds the the end of the world.

Hahah I know what you mean! My Bantam Orp lays on the floor in a corner of the coop now as a few months ago when my goldtop first went broody she got pretty angry with my Orp trying to squeeze in the nestbox with her, she's so short but she's wide so takes up the whole nest box. Surprisingly though this time around she doesn't have a problem with my CLB X laying on top of her, who is much heavier.
It just seems to have upset the flock though, the flock only consists of 4, but when the broodies go outside they pick on the others. I'm trying to introduce my young favs to them as well but it's hard when the flock is a bit irritable and upset. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon x

 

[bantyhen]

I have a hen who is broody right now. Coffee is her name. She is a a cute hen. Coffee fluffs up trying to look big.

 

[lilypad]

I have a hen who is broody right now. Coffee is her name. She is a a cute hen. Coffee fluffs up trying to look big.

Awww Coffee is such a cute name for a hen! My goldtop goes all fluffy when she's broody, she moonwalks too..... sticks her tail as far up in the air as she can with her head down, almost vertical, and shuffles backwards. It's hilarious!

 

[lilypad]

I think I've cracked it.... by accident!

I was raising the cage up this morning, but couldn't find any pliers to cut any mesh so just had to leave it for the time being. As the cage is in the place they want to be they've actually spent all morning outside - like they've given up cause they can't get in their space. Fingers crossed it works! x

 

[Barred4Life]

I have a broody hen that has hatched many chicks in the past...but a few months ago, my chickens were attacked by a racoon. My hens survived but my rooster died. A month ago my broody hen decided it was time to make babies, but the poor girl was sitting on infertile eggs. I take the eggs from under her but she just won't stop. So I've been reading up on this website about a solution. So I've put the broody hen in another separated part of the coop where there's no nesting boxes (it's where I store my hay and straw, etc.) with food and water. If I leave her there a few days (I read on here 3), do you think it should break her from it? Or the separation from nesting box not enough - I should use some wire to keep her belly cool?
I've read people dunking the chicken's belly in cold water...does that work? It sounds mean...but then again my chickens are outside right now in the pouring rain and they don't look miserable, lol.

 

[lilypad]

So sorry to hear about your rooster :'( x
Your hen is beautiful though, what's she crossed with?

I think it's different for each hen, I would try separating her first and just see how you go, some are easy to break some are more difficult

With my two broodies my goldtop was the easiest to break. I tried putting them in a cage with cool packs but they just sat, I tried separating them outside but my welsummer squawked so loudly it just wasn't fair on my neighbours to put up with that (she sounded like she was being attacked!!). In the end I put the cage where their favourite nesting space is (and shut them out) so they couldn't get to it, this worked great for my goldtop and she gave up very quickly and started laying eggs a few days later. My welsummer still isn't completely over it, she spends most of her days outside and has put weight on again so I'm not worried, occasionally I find her sat in the corner doing the broody cluck so I just shut her out the coop for the rest of the day and she goes back to normal. Hopefully the cold weather will put an end to it! haha.

 

[appps]

I have a broody hen that has hatched many chicks in the past...but a few months ago, my chickens were attacked by a racoon. My hens survived but my rooster died. A month ago my broody hen decided it was time to make babies, but the poor girl was sitting on infertile eggs. I take the eggs from under her but she just won't stop. So I've been reading up on this website about a solution. So I've put the broody hen in another separated part of the coop where there's no nesting boxes (it's where I store my hay and straw, etc.) with food and water. If I leave her there a few days (I read on here 3), do you think it should break her from it? Or the separation from nesting box not enough - I should use some wire to keep her belly cool? I've read people dunking the chicken's belly in cold water...does that work? It sounds mean...but then again my chickens are outside right now in the pouring rain and they don't look miserable, lol.

I don't do anything other than keep them off the nest 3 days. Have never needed to do the cold stuff. I've got two pullets both decided to spend all day in the nest box today. They are faverolles so had been hoping they would be less prone to broodiness than my others but no such luck it seems. It never ends does it lol

 

[lilypad]

I don't do anything other than keep them off the nest 3 days. Have never needed to do the cold stuff.

I've got two pullets both decided to spend all day in the nest box today. They are faverolles so had been hoping they would be less prone to broodiness than my others but no such luck it seems. It never ends does it lol

Oh no don't say that, I already have two broody twerps, I hope my favs aren't particularly broody LOL!

What breed is the chicken in your picture, by the way?