STOPPED BROODY HEN CYCLE

[cajunlizz]

WELL , I do not want baby chicks and I noticed another hen start that broody cycle yesterday , she had been on next for 6 hours .

Friend told us to DUNK her in a bucket of water . He also said if it did not work the 1st. time , ADD ICE to the water and re-dunk her .

Well , we did that yesterday evening . DUNKED her twice real good . WE DID NOT have to use the ice .

IT WORKED ............ She was running around , happy GO lucky this mornnig amongest the rest of the flock ....

Decided we DID NOT want to lose a HEN from remaining in the coop on a nest and hardly eating and drinking for 21 days PLUS . TO HOT for them to dehydrate .

 

[Beekissed]

Did that here also and it worked like a dream!

 

[fivebigreds]

I dunked my BO hen the other day and she just got that AHHH look on her face and ran back to the nest.
I don't think it works as good in 100 degree heat

 

[smith2]

I also tried it several days ago on one of my BO hens and she loved it. She just sat in the water till she cooled off, jumped out of the bucket and ran back to the nest. Later she got dunked in iced water. I left her in it until she was good and "cold." That finally broke her.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, you have to hold them upside down....its done rather quickly and they don't actually get all that wet, or cool, for that matter. I think it works in shock value, as mine wasn't in the water long enough to "cool down". Hold upside down, dunk 1-2-3 in a bucket of water and toss out of the coop. They give you a dirty look, ruffle their feathers and pout off. I had to repeat it once for one of my more stubborn broodies but she hasn't gone broody since. That's been about a month ago.

 

[Chirpy]

I dunno... it just sounds cruel to me. Especially since you have to hold them upside down. I think it would just panic the poor chicken. I'll stick with using the metal dog crate/kennel idea. Maybe it takes longer but it doesn't scare the hen.

 

[cajunlizz]

OK ... POINT being , you have to SHOCK and COOL their inside TEMP down . We had to redunk ours again this afternoon . BUT she is BACK on the nest again , SHE is so SUPER HOT ( inside temp. WISE ) we will have to ADD ICE to the bucket tomorrow and redunk her AGAIN.

She sure did NOT like the dunking , she shock out her feathers and walked off sideways .


I would rather DUNK her then have her DIE from dehydration . and with these SUPER HOT DAYS , would not take much . 96º with heat index of 105 .

 

[pdsavage]

wasnt thier another poster that said they did that and everyone said that was wrong to do?
I dont rember the poster,but i remember everyone telling her not to dunk her hen.I think her Grandma use to do it to broody hens.
See i would be worried they would asperate* water in thier lungs.

 

[Beekissed]

I could see they might aspirate water if they were in there for more than a millisecond!

Both of mine were completely fine and walked away in a huff.

wasnt thier another poster that said they did that and everyone said that was wrong to do?
I dont rember the poster,but i remember everyone telling her not to dunk her hen.I think her Grandma use to do it to broody hens.
See i would be worried they would asperate* water in thier lungs.

Just because "everyone" says something is wrong doesn't necessarily mean it is so. The wonderful thing about this life is that one can makes one's own decisions without being swayed by popular opinion. I'm wondering if anyone has tried this practice properly and had a hen aspirate? Now, if this has happened, I might reconsider. Might!

As far as "scaring" a hen? God forbid that a hen be frightened!! Seeing as they are frightened by their own shadow, a stray breeze, a songbird flying overhead.....hence the derogatory term of calling someone who is not very brave a "chicken". A chicken is, after all, folks, just a chicken. They are not a delicate piece of china, an expensive exotic animal or even a small child...they are chickens, pure and simple. A foolish, flighty, flock of feather dusters!​

 

[fivebigreds]

Quote:
I dunked my 4 broodys last night with ice water and this morn only one is still clucking. I held their legs and just put their bellys , sides and wing pits in the water. I belive it is the cooling that signals her brain that her eggs are ice cold and won't hatch anyway so, it's time to quit setting and lay more eggs.