To broody or not to broody?

[mccmeadows]

This is our first experience with a possible broody hen. My tiniest little black EE has become OBSESSED with the nesting boxes. She tries to sit on every egg that’s laid (today I watched her pancake herself underneath another hen who was trying to lay..), I have removed her a few times over the last couple days and when I put her on the ground she just nests where she lands and starts throwing shavings all over herself.

If I let her sit, is it true that other hens will go broody? How hard is it to actually break her of her broodiness and what are your best tips? I’ve read about constantly removing them and a solitary cage.

There are no roosters in the hen house where she is but I could put some orp eggs under her from one of our other coops. What is the best way to keep her nourished if I let her hatch? She’s already so small.

I think that’s all my questions for now, but I’m sure I could come up with more.. We already have 64 almost 4wk old chicks right now, so I don’t really need more but what is chicken math anyway

 

[SilverBirds]

If she is in pancake mode, she is definitely broody. With my bantams, if one hen goes broody they all go broody. Not normally the case with standards as the broodiness is typically breed out of most breeds. If you want to hatch eggs, you can put some fertile ones underneath her. It's recommended that you move them into their own pen. That way other hens aren't laying in her nest or picking on her (best to do it at night).

If you want to break a broody, put her in "chicken jail". This can be a dog kennel, or a separate pen. Place only food and water and a roost and leave her there for 24 hours. Then let her back out in the morning. This is probably the best method. If that doesn't work, you can do the not so nice way of dipping her in ice or water (only submerging her up to her breast for a few seconds).

 

[mccmeadows]

If she is in pancake mode, she is definitely broody. With my bantams, if one hen goes broody they all go broody. Not normally the case with standards as the broodiness is typically breed out of most breeds. If you want to hatch eggs, you can put some fertile ones underneath her. It's recommended that you move them into their own pen. That way other hens aren't laying in her nest or picking on her (best to do it at night).

If you want to break a broody, put her in "chicken jail". This can be a dog kennel, or a separate pen. Place only food and water and a roost and leave her there for 24 hours. Then let her back out in the morning. This is probably the best method. If that doesn't work, you can do the not so nice way of dipping her in ice or water (only submerging her up to her breast for a few seconds).

yes, she’s a little pancake sized dinosaur currently. might try the crate as 24hrs doesn’t sound that bad! thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

yes, she’s a little pancake sized dinosaur currently. might try the crate as 24hrs doesn’t sound that bad! thanks!

24 hrs isn't typical. Count on closer to 2-3 days in the breaker cage, possibly more, depending on how set she is on being broody. I don't let them out of the breaker until around 48 hours (to test), and not even then if they're still making very obvious broody signs (tik tik tik sound, puffing up, flattening, etc).

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I've not had much luck breaking broodies that have gone 'all in' but my efforts are probably pretty half-hearted. I find it easier just to let them have a few chicks. Plus it's adorable.

I'm not sure about how contagious brooding is, perhaps it has more to do with some known-only-to-chickens special juice in the air. It is my experience that I end up with more than 1 broody at a time, one usually a few weeks ahead and then 2 or 3 more at roughly the same time after that. Breaking one broody (before pancake dinosaur stage) does not stop the others going broody 1-2-3 weeks later.