Stubborn, broody hen

[Jenny Douridas]

I have a VERY broody, 8 month old Orpington girl. We have no roos so none of the eggs will ever be fertile. We have always removed eggs promptly. I tried taking access to the hen house away during daylight hours, only for her to return to the box at any and all opportunities. I have 2 ice packs, which I have been swapping out (so there’s always a cold one) that I keep slipping under her. I’m not sure where to go next. Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

 

[sourland]

Lock her in a cage, pen, anywhere that she can not get to the nest site.

 

[aart]

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[staceyj]

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

I have a very broody Orpington, and I rooster as well.
She is only 8 months old but has been broody twice already. The first time I tried everything but "chicken jail" as described as well.
I bought a small dog crate this time as soon as she began showing signs but then the other hens tried to pick on her through the cage. I brought her in the house and sat the cage right next to the floor air vent in the bathroom. *Food and water in cage.
We live in a warm climate and are still running the air conditioning. I'd lock up the coop and take her out for a little recess once or twice a day.
It took a week to break her but it worked!

The only problem is now I keep thinking someone is knocking on my back door!
Every time I check, it's her!
She wants to come in!

I give her a little hug then toss her back out there with her "friends".

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a VERY broody, 8 month old Orpington girl. We have no roos so none of the eggs will ever be fertile. We have always removed eggs promptly. I tried taking access to the hen house away during daylight hours, only for her to return to the box at any and all opportunities. I have 2 ice packs, which I have been swapping out (so there’s always a cold one) that I keep slipping under her. I’m not sure where to go next. Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I have the stubbornest of the stubborn. Some of my girls will take 2 weeks before even considering not being broody. And that's even though I put them in jail on day 1! Even worse, they get that way every 3rd egg. Silkies! Gotta love them.

Anyways, I've use the elevated wire cage also. It gets old (for me) and doesn't work any faster than a standard pen that is away from the nest box. So I recently started using an open bottom pen. Now my girls are pacing on grass instead of wire. They still have to go in the wire cage at night.

I'm telling you, they are sooo committed they've ALMOST broken me in the past. But alas I am the one with a little more understanding, and their health is important to me. I may not like the breaker (actually hate it), but when I don't want anything hatched... it's much more humane than letting them sit and lose condition for no reason.

Have you removed all bedding? The cold packs seem cruel to me.

Good luck!

 

[Jenny Douridas]

Thank you all for your replies. Since she took the ice packs as a challenge (and warmed them to steaming in about 40 minutes *LOL*) we are now trying chicken jail. We have a smaller, wire framed rabbit run with just a dirt floor and no nest area. Today she is taking her “staycation” with her sisters. Tomorrow I’ll put her in there alone and keep the other girls in the coop.

 

[aart]

wire framed rabbit run with just a dirt floor

You need wire under her and raised off floor/ground to cool her belly, she'll stay broody on the dirt.

 

[JeanR]

Please be kind you your setting hen. She is not stubborn, she cannot help her "setting". It is a hormone thingy, and it takes time to change normally, back to everyday hormones. Few realize that temperature is lower during set, than normal, not higher! But only a couple of degrees. 102f normal, about 198-99f setting temp. Usually, removal of anything nice, like nesting material, and just food and water free choice--best alone in a cage or pen, will soon cause those hormones to go back to usual. Otherwise, if a nest is available, they will remain in setting mode--sometimes for a month or more!!!! And for many, a setting hen is a gift--and the most reliable way to hatch and increase the flock. If you can't manage the setters, choose non-setting breeds for your laying hens. For many folks, just one breed, not a mix of the lovely breeds we like so well, will be the easiest managed flock Otherwise, it is part of the great chicken experience! Enjoy! Good luck....

 

[chickens really]

Yes, wire bottom cage till she breaks from her Broody trance...It takes longer if Broody over a week?....Raised cage and air flow to cool her belly off...Do not do any of the other crazy practices to her....