When is she no longer Broody?

[pgras123]

Well it has been 36 hours since one of my Barred Plymouth Rocks has been confined to the wire cage with just food and water. How do I know she is no longer broody and ready to be returned to the Coop?

 

[nhnanna]

I would like to know the answer too, thanks

 

[Mahonri]

I'd give her at least another day or two.

Those nests just have a way of triggering the broodyness.

 

[pgras123]

Yeah I did read somewhere, at least 4 days, -I will probably leave her in it unitl it has been a week - its too bad we had a decent day here in Central Indiana and the rest of the flock spent the day roaming the land. I felt bad she had to miss out on it.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You can observe her behavior in the cage. If she seems impatient with her confinement and interested in what her flockmates are doing, her broodiness might be broken.

It wouldn't hurt to let her out tomorrow morning and watch where she goes. If she goes back to the nest box right away, or right after a brief stop at the feeder, then she needs to be returned to the Broody Buster cage. If she goes back to her regularly scheduled programming, the spell has been broken.

I find the time needed in the Broody Buster varies with each hen, and also the degree of broodiness they've reached. But it doesn't set you back to let her out prematurely and then return her to the cage if needed.

 

[kelliepulido]

Hoow long will they stay broody?I have 8that are broody.Everyday I kick them out,they run around and eat then right back att it.

 

[panner123]

You might let her brood if she has been around a roo. I try to have at least three broody at all times. That way if the power goes out, I won't lose the eggs I have in the bator. It is like having a natural back up. This is the time of year when we lose power for days at a time.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I find each one to be different. I have some standard breed hens that have each gone broody just once in their lives, and after they raised their chicks have never gone broody since. There are some other bantams that have yet to go broody, some who have only gone broody once or twice, and several more who are on a regular routine of broodiness. They incubate the eggs, raise the chicks for 5-12 weeks, go back to the flock for a few weeks, and then begin again.

And they also vary in the amount of time needed to break their broodiness. Some have the spell broken in just a few days, some take longer.

I don't try to break broodies anymore, now I wait until they're committed to setting and swap their banty eggs with standard sized eggs I want them to hatch. I have a large flock of standard and mixed-breed hens, and a few roosters. The chicks are all beautiful hybrids, the hens make good layers and the roos make good eating.

 

[pgras123]

This is all good if I had a rooster to fertilize the eggs etc. We could, we live well in the country - hmmm.... another addittion to the family - I wonder how I will explain this to the wife?

 

[Attack Chicken]

Wewt! Im in indiana to