Weird kind of broodiness - opinions please!

[RebsChooks]

I have two pekin bantams who go broody at the same time. And what they do is sit on top of each other in the nest box, or one with the head buried into the others’ feathers. They started up with it again today.

Why do they do this? The others go broody singly and try to sit in separate nest boxes.

Definitely broody as they make that broody noise and peck when I lift them off.

Any ideas? And what is your method of breaking a broody? I really have to break them as we cannot have chicks and also they block the nestboxes and prevent others from laying. I have tried dunking (works for a couple of hours), wire cage (I HATE doing this to them so I would rather not, plus it took days to work - or did they just get over it naturally? I could not be sure), and just locking them out of the coop. This last method is also awful as I am in and out of the garden checking if anybody wants to lay, then letting the laying chicken in and then having to go back and keep checking on her until she is ready to go out again. Also the broodies make a horrid noise when locked out, and we haven neihhbours!

Any ideas on any of it gratefully received.

 

[SueT]

I haven't found anything that works other than the wire cage. Yes it takes days. They will likely NOT get over it without intervention.
It's cute that they do it together. There are hens who hatch and raise their chicks jointly too. But if you don't want chicks, intervening asap is recommended.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I use open bottom pens... agreed wire cages stink.

No matter which method you use... it usually takes a few of days to break them. This is hormonal and they aren't really in control of it.

Maybe those two gals like each other... I put them in a breaker together if they aren't nasty. Crazy how broody is contagious. If I get one I wanna break... In move them out immediately before they can influence others. Ugh... the broody's have ALMOST broken me... one was broody 10+ days in the wire breaker, and then is when I switched to open bottom for day time use and still wire for overnight.

I cannot have the other hens locked out of the coop as you are trying to let them in and out... I would have several who would look for another place to lay.

I might suggest rehoming... if they are too broody for your flock.

The cold water dunk is just stupid and cruel IMO when a hen is already stressed enough. No thank you, not for me. A fan is acceptable.... the broody shakes to maintain her broody temperature.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not a wire cage fan either; seems like putting them in prison for something they have no control over.
I salvaged one of those baby cages/toddler pens and I bring them in to the house and put them in this. I have concrete floors and they seem to cool down quite quickly, about three days. I put them on their perches at night if they aren't too persistent.

 

[Morrigan]

It is funny how you can't wait for a hen to go broody . . . then suddenly you are overrun with them.

I've managed to break a couple without wire cages, but it was a lot of hands on coop time. First thing is to remove all eggs several times a day. If the broody has a favorite box, I remove the straw/bedding from the box altogether. Then, several times a day I remove the broody and place her outside, far from the coop. Sometimes I throw out a few seeds or lettuce or something to distract her. At night, the broody is placed on the roost with the others. It took a few days, and I was grateful it worked without the wire bottom cage. In both cases, they were late season brooders, so I think the shortening days helped with the breaking.

If I get an super stubborn one, I break down and give her a couple of chicks to raise. If you know someone who would love to have some 6 weeks old chicks when your broody is through, it's not a bad solution.

Good luck, broody hens can be a mixed blessing. It's tough with two of them reenforcing each other.

 

[RebsChooks]

The dunking does work for a few hours, and tbh they really don’t seem distressed by it. The wire cage I hate using as they look so very uncomfortable in it.

I use an old hamster cage that I turn upside down and prop up on bricks so that they are standing on wire rather than the plastic bottom. Some of you have said a regular cage will work... but why would that work? I would feel a lot better putting my broodies in the cage the right way up, with them standing on bare plastic, but I feel like they could just snuggle down and stay broody?

 

[SueT]

Is your hamster cage big enough for a chicken to move around in?