What to do about broody birds?

[srilalita]

We have 8 1-year-olds and no roosters. We've had 2 broody for about 2 months and 1 more acts like she is going broody since yesterday.

Should I do something to convince these girls to give up?

Also, I only have 3 laying boxes and now all 3 are occupied.

Is there something I should do or should I just let them be? Everyone seems healthy otherwise (knock knock).

Sri

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I usually let them alone. But I have tried this with success in the past:

Put a broody hen in a cage or hutch with no bottom except a wire floor for 24-48 hours with food and water. The air circulation under her can cure her of broodiness. CAN being the operative word, LOL.

As soon as she notices someone else being broody, back onto the nest she goes was my experience, but there was a lull there of a month or so.

 

[srilalita]

Hm. Ok. How long does it normally last?

Is it a problem that all three nesting boxes are occupied? Will it stress out the other birds not to have a nest to lay in? Will they kick out the broody hens when they need to lay? Or will they just start laying hither and yon?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Hm. Ok. How long does it normally last?

Is it a problem that all three nesting boxes are occupied? Will it stress out the other birds not to have a nest to lay in? Will they kick out the broody hens when they need to lay? Or will they just start laying hither and yon?

You need to have an available box, although some hens will squeeze two and three in a box depending on the size. You can get a covered kitty litter pan in a pinch. Or a cardboard box.

Some hens just starve themselves by being broody too much and it takes a toll on their health. Other hens maintain just fine.

 

[KootenaiRiverChick]

Ditto to what ChickensAreSweet said.

One of our Cuckoo Marans went broody a couple of months ago. Being first-time backyard chicken farmers, we had no idea what was up for a few weeks then we figured out she was uber-broody. We tried to break her of it every way imaginable but to no avail. We finally caved after what I think was close to two months, maybe less, and bought two, four-day old chicks and put them under her at night. It's been almost four weeks and she is such a great mama! The last thing we wanted to deal with was chicks but it's all turned out just fine. It was a royal pain for the first week since we had to segregate the new family from the rest of the flock (I'll spare you the details) but we've figured it out and all is well.

Except...

Another one of our hens has now gotten the idea she wants chicks!!! OMG--whoever said having chickens was easy and fun was insane. Our latest broody hen is an Ancona, which is supposed to be a breed that is rarely broody. Now we're wondering if the others are going to get the same idea, just when we were developing a nice little organic egg business. We have gone from six eggs a day to three. Alas, I love my hens and we'll figure this one out, too.

Hope you can break yours!