What can I do with this broody hen?

[Mikee1948]

One of my six hens has gone broody. She won't leave the nest box, sits on the other hen's eggs, unless I chase her out, I only have two nest boxes and so I'm finding stray eggs inside the coop where they are getting stepped on and broken. Raising chicks is out of the question (unfertilized eggs!) and anyway I don't want any more birds. And I can't isolate her as some of done to theirs. I don't even know if she's laying anymore because of this. Will this phase ever pass?

 

[7 Biddies]

Took mine a month to get over it. In fact, she just got back out of the nest over the weekend. I just left her alone for much of the time, but made sure she didn't have any eggs to sit on. Some of the more assertive hens would toss her out if they wanted the nest. And, I tossed her out into the run daily to make sure she got excersize, food, and water. Some people recommend sitting them in cold water, but that seems cruel to me. I figure it's a part of nature and I have plenty of eggs without her laying, so I let it go.

 

[cary 1973]

both my leg horns went broody with in a day of each other (this breed is know for not going broody) anyways I let them set for a few hours then enough was enough and I picked them up and put them with the other girls and then did not let them go back in to the nesting area Lilly only took half a day to brake and Pheonix was a day and half they are both brook now but its been over a week sencie they have given me an egg.