Very persistent broodies

[Melodychick]

Last year I had 4 persistent broodies. I followed the advice here, as best I could, to break them (not easy with 4 at a time!). This year, so far 2 of them are already broody. I only have one cage and not really any room for more. The first broody has been in the cage for two weeks now, with a break or two everyday, and she’s still fuzzing up at me and no where near broke. The other I tried putting bottles of frozen water under her thinking she’d get up off the nest, but she just sat on them and by morning, they were toasty warm. Any ideas are welcome, but I think I’ve just learned to live with it and wanted to vent my frustrations in words! Anyone in S MS or La want a broody hen...

 

[sourland]

Sounds like the perfect time to foster some chicks under them.

 

[Acre4Me]

Lol! One broody can be useful, but several, not so much! We have only one (so far) that goes broody regularly. We miss her eggs! However, she has raised (adopted) two groups of chicks, so that has been a benefit. Not sure I could handle more than 1 broody though.

Maybe consider breeds less likely to go broody when you purchase more chicks or pullets. BYC has articles on breeds and likelihood of broodiness is indicated. Also, the is a chart called “Henderson’s chicken chart” I think that summarizes various aspects of breeds, including broodiness.

 

[Melodychick]

These broodies are SS and BA. All 4 from Ideal poultry and all 4 from the 2016 batch. I knew BA’s could be broody, but I didn’t know SS’s were and I thought hatchery stock wouldn’t be as prone to it either. I was hoping they wouldn’t do it this year, but here we go. I have some chicks but they’re already 3weeks old and there’s no room for any more right now. Fingers crossed the other 2 won’t be so inclined, yeah right, sigh....

 

[Acre4Me]

Our broody is a BA. Interestingly, the other 2 BA (same hatch date and breeder) have never been so inclined. Agree that I would have thought like you-that hatchery stock might be less inclined. Hopefully your new chicks are less so. Maybe you can sell your older broodies when the new ones start to lay?

We are still in the phase of trying new breeds, so I have 25 straight run chicks across several breeds coming soon. We have 6 week old chicks getting kicked out of the brooder today, but they are breeds we already have, but needed young layers for county fair (child in 4-H).

Of our breeds, I can recommend to you Plymouth Barred Rocks - consistent layers, ours are not broody, White Plymouth Rock -reliable layer, and EE -reliable layer, but lays a little less than the Barred Rocks.

Otherwise, you can get production breeds, like Leghorns.

Btw, what breed is SS?

 

[chickens really]

Is the cage wire bottom and good air flow underneath her?

 

[Melodychick]

Is the cage wire bottom and good air flow underneath her?

Cage is wire bottom and suspended above ground, but it’s hot here, thus the frozen bottles of water!

Our broody is a BA. Interestingly, the other 2 BA (same hatch date and breeder) have never been so inclined. Agree that I would have thought like you-that hatchery stock might be less inclined. Hopefully your new chicks are less so. Maybe you can sell your older broodies when the new ones start to lay?

We are still in the phase of trying new breeds, so I have 25 straight run chicks across several breeds coming soon. We have 6 week old chicks getting kicked out of the brooder today, but they are breeds we already have, but needed young layers for county fair (child in 4-H).

Of our breeds, I can recommend to you Plymouth Barred Rocks - consistent layers, ours are not broody, White Plymouth Rock -reliable layer, and EE -reliable layer, but lays a little less than the Barred Rocks.

Otherwise, you can get production breeds, like Leghorns.

Btw, what breed is SS?

I’m trying different breeds too! SS is Speckled Sussex, and I also have Barred rocks and Easter Eggers, and love them. As well as cuckoo Marans, Welsummer, gold lace Wyandotte, and New Hampshire reds. All hatcherystock though.

 

[chickens really]

Cage is wire bottom and suspended above ground, but it’s hot here, thus the frozen bottles of water!



I’m trying different breeds too! SS is Speckled Sussex, and I also have Barred rocks and Easter Eggers, and love them. As well as cuckoo Marans, Welsummer, gold lace Wyandotte, and New Hampshire reds. All hatcherystock though.

Awesome I just bought 11 SS Chicks that are almost 3 weeks old..Definitely the heat is an issue.

 

[Fairview01]

Giving her a break from the cage every day is the problem. She should stay in the cage continuously for a week. After a week in the cage if she insists 9n being broody back in the cage for 10 days, etc. Letting her out of the cage every day defeats the purpose of putting her in the cage in the first place
.

 

[Melodychick]

I kept her in for a full week before I let her out. I catch her and put her back in when she heads toward the nests. She hasn’t been on a nest in over 2 weeks now.