Stopping Brooders

[Love My Chickies]

I'm a fairly new chicken mom. I started in May. I'm up to 8 hens and 2 roos. Only 2 are laying. It hasn't happened yet (knock on wood it won't!) but I've read some of my breeds are known for going broody. I don't have room for more chooks and definitely can't have more roos (I've already rehomed 2). I guess I'm wondering how difficult it is to break them if/when it happens and if the hens are okay emotionally if I keep them from hatching chicks. Pics of my flocks just because I love them !

 

[aart]

I crate them in a special broody breaker crate.
You might not want to go that route if you are worried about their 'emotions',
because they won't like being in taken off the nest and put in a crate,
but it's the fastest and most effective way to stop the broodiness.

Broodiness is driven by hormones, unlike the human 'biological clock' which has many other aspects affecting it. Some birds will go broody repeatedly, some never will.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours I let her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor, gives the feet a break from the wire floor and encourages roosting.