The water dunking cured my broody!! (Update w/ PIC)

[chicks and hens2]

I had a broody Wyandotte pullet go broody about 2 weeks ago. Decided since it was a nice day I'd try the dunking. Did it twice today, second time( about 1- 1/2 hours later) I kept her in the water for a full 3 minutes. It seems to have worked. She did go back into the nest but, she laid an egg so I put her back out with the others and she stayed out the rest of the day. Hope it cured her. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

About the fruit. Mine get fruit a few times a week ( not a lot at a time) and I always get about the same number of eggs. I've been doing that throughout the summer.Especially whenhot,they get something I have frozen.

 

[McGoo]

I've got 3 broody hens

and have used the wire mesh false bottom method in the past, but they are determined this year and keep going back to the nesting boxes. I don't need any more chickens !

So I'm gonna try the dunking. It's pretty cold here - high might reach 50... is that a problem for the hens. I don't want them to get too cold....mother hen that I am.

 

[hannakat]

I've got 3 broody hens

and have used the wire mesh false bottom method in the past, but they are determined this year and keep going back to the nesting boxes. I don't need any more chickens !

So I'm gonna try the dunking. It's pretty cold here - high might reach 50... is that a problem for the hens. I don't want them to get too cold....mother hen that I am.

I did that with one of my hens last summer and I'll never do it again. Never.

With it being only 50 degrees, I don't think it's a good idea unless you plan to use a blow dryer and keep her indoors for a couple hours. Just MHO.

 

[ninabeast]

Reviving this thread to say that I am in the midst of trying this method on not one, but two broodies. So far, they've each been dunked twice. I have reached this point because one is in very real danger of starving herself. We shall see.

You can get the details (and lots more pics) here: http://heedleyshens.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/how-to-break-a-broody-medieval-edition/

And video here: https://www.facebook.com/heedleyshens

But I just have to leave you with this one. Anyone care to caption this pic?

 

[GrandmaChickie]

"Chicken in a Bucket!" "This is SO undignified!"

 

[al6517]

Quote:


The blow drying will defeat the purpose, and bring her inside !!! ( really !!! ) you mean the human house !!!

and there isn't anything wrong with doing it in 50 degree weather, she's not cold, remember they live outside

. and they premise is too lower her core body temp, that's what triggers the reverse broody, as I said before pet chicken folks need not try this and should not try this at home without a real professional on hand, not because of the chicken the'll do fine............. it's the Humans who freak out.

Now that barred rock in the bucket ............. I can't see any ice ??, my buckets have ice cubes still floating in it, this method works and is tried and true, commitment is the key, those who say it doesn't work haven't had the gut's to do it right, and it's not harmfull to the chicken even the pet Foo-Foo house chickens with aprons and diapers and painted toe nails, who will have a heart attack if you said BOO too loud. Those who have tried it the right way and have attested to the that fact will tell you the same thing. But heres the thing if you don't want a broody try it............ if you won't try it then just brood some chicks, easy peezy broooody.

 

[Totalcolour]

. . .as I said before pet chicken folks need not try this and should not try this at home without a real professional on hand, not because of the chicken the'll do fine............. it's the Humans who freak out.

You are So right Al. My chickens have a coop - it's never closed, even in winter and snow on the ground. They don't' have a heated barn, nor is it insulated, but it is wind-proofed. They either are strong enough to survive, or they die (They are treated when they get injured, if the injury isn't too bad, otherwise they are culled). The snow doesn't bother them, and I see them in the cold rain all the time, even when they can go into the coop.

I think so many folks though consider chickens, as pets. To me, they are FOOD. They lay food, and they become food. I treat them well, give them good feed, provide predator proof shelter and plenty of room to forage. BUT, they are still FOOD.

 

[Ingavid]

Lena (RIR) has been broody for a week and I don't have a roo and have a small tractor coop. We did the isolation coop (Broody Buster method) to no avail. She kept going back to the coop, fighting with the other girls and just being overall fiesty. Yesterday afternoon, I dunked her (just her body, with her head out of the water). She's not been back to the coop yet. It may have actually done the trick. I did it twice with very cold water in a small household bucket. I've read that it brings down their body temp, since their temp goes up when they are broody. She didn't seem to mind it that much at all and now my flock is finally acting normal again. So far, so good! Just wanted to report this good news.

I just did it with my broody RIR. It was like a miracle! Lost all interest in nesting immediately which is so weird since before when I locked her out of the coop she looked suicidal, trying to get back in. She would lay and sleep on a completely empty nest for 2 days.