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

[Wizbop]

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.

 

[CariLynn]

Wizbop...while I have never done that before, as I just gave way my favorite hen as all she did was brood and out of a year, I got maybe 2 weeks of eggs out of her, I had to giggle as the term "madder than a wet hen" came to mind! Glad it may of worked and hope it really did!

 

[Wizbop]

Thanks. I'm still surprised that I keep seeing her running around the backyard happy. She's definitely NOT broody, but she's not laying yet either. I don't know how long it'll take her to resume egg-laying. We'll see about that part. My wet hen wasn't all that mad, but then again, my girls don't seem to mind a nice cool rain either.

 

[ih66series]

I isolated a broody to make her hatch eggs. Will that break her if she is alone in a cage? She has eggs under her.

 

[al6517]

I always recommend the cold dunking method, but so many people freak out

over the technic. It's a good method, it makes sense, it's safe, and it work's, what's not to like.

 

[Wizbop]

Quote:
Hey, I'm a believer in it now. Especially since we live in NC and it's so hot here now, I think she actually liked it.

I did it twice. I "think" she just layed me an egg. I posted a pic in the original post. I've not seen that many people speak positively about this technque but thought it was worth a shot. I'm glad we tried it.

 

[madamwlf]

I have to give this a try. Have a hen that's been broody for about 2 weeks now. No eggs to hatch though.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Hey, I'm a believer in it now. Especially since we live in NC and it's so hot here now, I think she actually liked it.

I did it twice. I "think" she just layed me an egg. I posted a pic in the original post. I've not seen that many people speak positively about this technque but thought it was worth a shot. I'm glad we tried it.

To be honest most folks do not prefer this method because they think it traumatizes the chicken, That's a bunch of HOOWY !!! your chicken looks just fine and dandy. Thanks for posting the pic of the process to help these folks understand the reality of animal husbandry. If they don't want their Hen's to go broody and they won't use a tried and true method for fear of the humans frail imotional state, then I think they should just keep their broody broody LOL. Good job I am very glad it worked for you.

 

[Wizbop]

Quote:
Hey, I'm a believer in it now. Especially since we live in NC and it's so hot here now, I think she actually liked it.

I did it twice. I "think" she just layed me an egg. I posted a pic in the original post. I've not seen that many people speak positively about this technque but thought it was worth a shot. I'm glad we tried it.

To be honest most folks do not prefer this method because they think it traumatizes the chicken, That's a bunch of HOOWY !!! your chicken looks just fine and dandy. Thanks for posting the pic of the process to help these folks understand the reality of animal husbandry. If they don't want their Hen's to go broody and they won't use a tried and true method for fear of the humans frail imotional state, then I think they should just keep their broody broody LOL. Good job I am very glad it worked for you.

Thanks. She was really calm throughout the process. She didn't make any noise at me or get upset at all. She did take a dust bath following her water bath and then spent a lot of time preening. I did it in the middle of the day, too.

 

[Wizbop]

Quote:
Is she sitting on fertile eggs? I think if she hatches the eggs it should, but I've never done that. It will take a while though.