Steele Egger Broody at 7 months

[Jml387]

Hi all my 7 month old Steele egger from Meyer Hatchery (hybrid) I think has gone broody. She’s been sitting in the nesting box all day and yelling at me all puffed up when I open the box.

My question is what do I do? No rooster and no intention of adding to the flock at this time (small suburban backyard). Should I break the broodiness or let her ride it out?

Also I collected all the eggs she’s just sitting on the demo egg

 

[WingItRanch]

Just today? I say give her another day and if she's still sitting in the nest box and doesn't roost tonight then you'll know she's serious and you'll need to break her.

She's pretty young to go broody but.. she looks like she may have some silkie in her and those silly birds go broody all the time.

 

[Yardmom]

Many pullets go broody around 7 months as they have been laying long to fill the nest. Take a look on information on how to use a broody breaker cage.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Agreed, I would see if she sits in the box instead of roosting tonight and if she's still sitting tomorrow I'd break her. If you don't plan to give her eggs to hatch or chicks to raise then it could be detrimental to her health to let her continue to sit.

Brooding takes a lot out of a hen (or pullet). They don't eat much at all while brooding (the reason hens accumulate fat where they do is to give them reserves to pull from during brooding). And while some girls will give up after 3 or 4 weeks if eggs don't hatch, some will continue to sit far longer than the 21 days it takes eggs to hatch. Hens do occasionally die while brooding.

 

[aart]

My question is what do I do?

I would break her:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[WingItRanch]

@Jml387 did she continue to sit or give up? Did you have to break her?

Just curious because I had a pullet refuse to leave the nest boxes all day (she had already laid her egg) but then last night she was on the roost bars with the others and seems normal today. I think she just wanted some alone time...

 

[Jml387]

@Jml387 did she continue to sit or give up? Did you have to break her?

Just curious because I had a pullet refuse to leave the nest boxes all day (she had already laid her egg) but then last night she was on the roost bars with the others and seems normal today. I think she just wanted some alone time...

She ended up sleeping in the nest box but I had taken all the eggs including the demo eggs and by the next morning she was over it lol

I’m keeping my eye on her now though!

 

[mamawix]

Your Steele egger is so pretty! Mine is all grey. She went broody in January too (she was 9 months then) and I was able to break her after one night in "chicken jail". And now she just went broody again.
I'm glad she is now though because we have more chicks coming soon!
None of my other breeds have gone broody like her yet. I wonder if this breed will go broody more often.