What to do with broody hens and no rooster

[littlepeepers]

Hello there,
For a week I have had two broody hens: a Buff Orpington and a Black Australorp. Both of them are trying to lay in one nesting box but it normally turns out to be one laying in it and one next to it. I have tried the broody coop cage method for a couple of weeks off and on but it doesn't appear to be working. They are discouraging my other two hens from laying eggs. Our egg output has gone from three or four a day to one or two, if we are lucky. Is there another method that I should try to break these brooders? I don't have a rooster or fertilized eggs. I would like them out free ranging again. I have heard of the ice cube method but how long do you rub the ice cube and how many times? Do you do it a couple of times a day or once a day for a couple of days? Thanks for all your help!

 

[<3ChickenForever]

If they are laying on eggs, take the hen off the eggs then take the eggs. Do this every day and soon she will stop sitting in the hen house.

 

[darkmatter]

Go the the farm store, buy chicks, slip "magic chicks" under the hen.

 

[ilovebuffs]

Orr...go on the BYC Auction and buy the girl some eggs of a breed you might want more of. Then you both win

 

[justtoni44]

Please............
Just send them to my house

 

[littlepeepers]

The only problem is we don't have a place near us to buy eggs, we don't have the space for more chicks, and we don't want more chickens. I have been taking the eggs out from under them everyday but they are still sitting! Any one know how to do the ice cube method?

 

[BANTAMWYANDOTTE]

To stop broodiness try this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=499951


To place day old chicks under her:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=506056

 

[littlepeepers]

I've thoroughly read that thread but I don't see the information that I want about the ice cube method. How many times do you do it and for how long? Once a day, twice a day? Two minutes, five minutes? Thanks for your help though.

 

[BANTAMWYANDOTTE]

I am so sorry! Thank you for pointing that out! I will edit the post to fix this!

To do this properly:

Exchange two eggs with four Ice cubes, until she leaves the nest one day. She shouldn't return. If you run out of eggs, put her in a pen by herself and provide one egg in nest for her to sit on. Each day, add four ice cubes to the nest and try to get ice on all four sides of her body (head, tail, left, right) to cover her underside. She will stop soon if you do this everyday.

If she still doesn't move then she may need to be put in a wire-floored pen off the ground and put a fan under it. Provide her with a nest, like before, and each day add the ice to it. She should stop and most hens never make it so far that this measure is nessisary.




Hope that helps,


Timothy in KY

 

[littlepeepers]

Thank you so much! I'll start tomorrow. Have a wonderful night.