Where should I put my broody breaker?

[Kristin.marlies]

Hi, I have been reading a lot about broodiness and broody breakers but I can't seem to find any info on where the best spot to put it. I know it should be elevated a little for circulation and no bedding etc., but should I keep her in the coop with the others while she is in the box? Should I bring her inside? She is the sweetest little persistent silkie so it breaks my heart to see her like this. Her name is True.

 

[azygous]

Your sweet little broody is overcome by hormones, and we want to get her back to normal as quickly as we can!

I recently had two broodies two weeks apart. The first one was my very docile Black Cochin Morgan. I made a broody cage out of an open-mesh steal patio table and a milk crate. During the day, I set up the broody cage inside the pen so Morgan could be with her flock and not be as stressed out. I would let her out every two hours to eat and drink and stretch her legs. As soon as she headed for the nest boxes, back into the cage, she went. At night, I moved the broody cage with its inhabitant into the garage. I didn't bother with a light, but a light on all night will help to break the broody urge.

The thing that really hurried up the broody-breaking process was putting a fan under the cage so that air was blowing very gently on Morgan's underside all night long. It took a little less than three days, and Morgan was back to normal. I figured she was broke when she didn't head right for the nest box when I let her out.

Two weeks later, Irene the GLWyandotte, went broody. It was Irene's second time broody, her first being last year. Irene is less than docile when she's normal. Irene broody is a chicken version of a wild-cat - screeching, clawing, biting, and chicken profanity! But Irene was also broken in just under three days with two nights in the garage with the fan blowing on her over-heated under-carriage. It took Irene another couple days to get the broodiness fully out of her system, though. She would pause, puff herself up, flap her wings, and shake herself out, while letting loose with a pent-up "Skreeeeeeek!" Then she'd go back to whatever she was doing before the spell overtook her. It was pretty funny.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[Jajika]

Maybe it's me, but why do you want to break a chicken from being broody? It's seems unkind to me.

If my chickens go broody, I just let them be. It's nature and to me, letting them live as nature intended is better for
their overall health.

I have several "geriactric" hens---one over nine years old and one about eight. They are very healthy, still laying
and seem to being doing just fine. When they go broody---I let them be.

Actually, it's a little selfish on my part, as when they are sitting, it is a chance for me to get close
to them, rub their little chests and enjoy them.

I may be naive in thinking that letting my hens go through their natural cycles contributes to their
overall health and longevity, but it is certainly less stressful than interupting what nature intended.

I would never subject my chickens to a harsh, cage-like environment.

 

[azygous]

Why break a broody? Well, for starters, they won't be laying for over a month while they're broody.

Second reason to break a broody, is that they lose a great deal of weight while sitting on an EMPTY nest. That can't be terrific for their health.

Third reason to break a broody, if you aren't prepared to put some fertile eggs under them and be prepared to deal with a bunch of new chicks in a month, perhaps half of them or almost all of them growing up to be roosters, it's completely unproductive for them to stay broody for the next month.

You can break a broody without being cruel. I think it's far less cruel than letting them sit in the dark for a month on an empty nest, pulling out belly feathers, and not eating or joining in daily life with their flock for all that time.

 

[Jajika]

Hi Azygous:

I understand what you are saying in terms of not laying. If I were raising large quantities of hens for eggs and many went broody, that could be a problem.

In my limited experience, and I can only speak for myself and my flock, my broody hens go out of the coop a couple of times a day to eat, drink and poop. I have not
noticed that they loose weight, but I haven't weighed them either.

Again, I have not performed an sociological studies on their daily interactions or lack thereof. So, yes, they do isolate themselves when
they are brooding.

So, I guess from a suburban point of view and my own experience, I have not observed any health hazards from my old ladies.

But, thanks for the education.

Geri

 

[Knittycat]

Also, a persistent broody can starve herself to death if she doesn't get any chicks. She'll just sit there and sit there and sit there on her empty nest waiting for her "eggs" to hatch.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
This has certainly happened.

I had one who I couldn't break even with a cage, I was quite worried, finally stopped it with feed store chicks, but she sat a long time before they got them in. She lost a lot of weight, and ate voraciously when she started caring for the chicks.

Most of mine I have been able to break by taking them off the nest and kind of chasing them until they started eating and such -- but sometimes I had to do this several times a day for several days; not everyone is home to do this. If I can, I just give them fertile eggs or chicks.

 

[Kristin.marlies]

Thank you azygous for letting me know where you put your broody breaker. And thank you for all the other opinions. I have let True be broody for about two weeks trying to do what has always worked in the past (continuously putting her out when I see her on the nest). But this time is different and she is determined. I have tried to lock her (and of course the others) out of the coop during the day. She just circles around the coop for hours panicking. I free range so she is not moving around with the rest of the flock and is making herself more vulnerable. I went to the new TSC yesterday hoping to buy a couple babies to scoot under her but they have a minimum. I have an order of chicks coming in May but I don't think that waiting that long is good for her. She brings over everybody's eggs to her spot and sits even after the eggs have been collected. She is losing weight. I bring food to her or kick her out to eat for as long as she will stay. The water and pellets are near her inside so I don't know how often she visits that. I will fell bad putting her in a broody buster but I feel worse seeing her this way and losing weight and feathers. My husband thinks I am crazy. She just seems so much happier when she isn't broody.

 

[azygous]

True has been broody for half the brooding period already. I have no doubt you'll be able to break her, but it may take longer than three days since she's settled in for the spell.

I felt heartless the first time I broke a broody, but it was better than having a hen, like my very first broody, who loses so much weight, I fear for her life.

If you put her outside in the cage in a shady, but bright spot, where she's still near the flock, it will be much easier on her, and she won't lose her pecking rank. Get her out every few hours and play with her and encourage her with treats. Then at night, move her into your garage or service porch with a fan blowing under the cage. Leave a light on for good measure.

Be consistent and she'll snap out of it and join the happy flock again. It'll be over soon!