What's the longest it's taken you to break a broody?

[azygous]

My little SS 8-month old pullet Linda went broody for the second time last week. I've always been able to break a broody with the open-mesh bottom cage treatment in no more than three days. But Linda finally broke after five days (60 hours) in the cage.

I felt convinced she was good to go after three days, but she maintained her broody crankiness and made right for the nest box the minute I would turn her loose. So back into the cage she went, and I tried her out again the next day, but she was still as broody as ever.

So this morning, after five nights and four days in the cage, she has finally forgotten what she went into the coop for, and goes right back out again.

This is going to be a career broody hen, so I think I'll start collecting some fertile eggs for her to sit on along about ten days before she goes broody again in thirty days. Why fight it?

What's the longest it took you to break a broody?

 

[chloezoebob101]

I never want to break my broody, I let her hatch

 

[galanie]

I have heard of ones that never break even with the wire cage and thought that must be odd. Now I have one of those. She was in that thing, never let out and of course had food and water for 8 days. And is still broody. I give up, I'll just have to let her set till she forgets about it I guess. Not giving her any eggs, she's an awful mom.

 

[azygous]

I never want to break my broody, I let her hatch

If you let your hens hatch eggs every time they goe broody, you must have dozens and dozens and dozens of chickens by now!

 

[Geckochick]

Reading this with curiousity. I have my first broody hen right now and she is being pretty stubborn about it. We are not in the position to let her hatch any, although we would like to be at some point. Just not now. I keep trying to explain that to her, but she is not getting it.

 

[azygous]

I know what you mean - you simply cannot reason with a broody!

 

[hearts34]

Why bother? Just reach under her, take the eggs and let her be.