Won't stop brooding going on six weeks!

[memc33]

I have a 2 yr old Buff Brahma hen who has been broody for almost six weeks now. I've tried everything I've read to stop it, she has been in a brooder pen this whole time, but she just keeps sitting even though there is air flow and she can't get warm, I've tried cooling her off with water, kicking her out of the pen when she tries to sit, but nothing is working. She barely eats or drinks and has lost a lot of weight, I am starting to get worried. Last year the brooder pen stopped her within a week. Does anyone have any other suggestions!?!

 

[FireTigeris]

Baby chicks?

 

[memc33]

I wish! My husband says 3 is our limit until we get a bigger yard!

 

[angel8035]

Maybe you can "Borrow" chicks from someone who will want them back or raise them for somebody?

 

[karlamaria]

I'm going through the same thing, hen who is constantly broody ! We gave her a few eggs, she raised them 3 weeks began to lay and 6 weeks ago decided to sit and brood again.im at my wits end! We have given her baths, kept her from the breeding pen ( coop ) now she has chased the other girls out of th double nest and there laying every where else. Today we found a nest under the por h which we can not get to. Ugh. I have ordered new nest boxes but I'm about to do Harry Carrie on her butt.

 

[memc33]

Thanks, that's a good idea! I am going to check around, maybe I can talk some friends into chicks!

 

[memc33]

oh jeez, karlamaria, sorry to hear that. I don't know WHAT I would do if she already hatched and started up again! I hope they both stop soon!

 

[karlamaria]

She turned out to be one heck of a mama, she hatched them and fed them and took real wonderful care of them, then at three weeks started laying for a week, then bam,she wanted oohing to do with them chicks, except to let them sleep with her, and it's been this way ever since .the chicks are now about 9 weeks old and she will ot let anyone near the nest, and she will not let anyone sleep at night if I block it off. Now I'm blocking her from the coop all together and tonight she is going into a cage ! Tomorrow right back out to the yard, then back again. My hens are laying on the coop floor, and under my porch which I blocked off more times then I can count. I started with five birds, a year ago, gave mom 2 a few months ago so I could add a few pullets, and of course the two chicks, and I'm done. It's a back yard not a acre lol. She has gone broody more times then I can count in the last ear, I'm going to let her set on some eggs in march this next year then give her to someone who needs a broody. I have 4 pullets coming up to laying age, with her hogging the nest box ( its 3 boxes in one) I had to order these http://dl.dropbox.com/u/80775034/Nest box price list 1.pdf

For heavy breeds. They look awesome, I plan to put them both on a wall about 2 feet off the ground.

 

[devora]

I'm having the same issue and was going to start a thread. My concern is that she's eating just enough to stay alive but if this keeps up, well, goodness it can't be healthy.

Seasoned broody folks, 'lil help? I'm stuck.

I want to know how long it can last. Six weeks??? I'm heading into the fourth week and I'd thought 21 days was about the limit.

 

[karlamaria]

I wet there crumble with a touch of water and add yogert, also *** oatmeal to. She eats this well and seems to be ok, but she would die in the nest if I did not remove her. I ordered this several weeks ago to block the pullets from the chicks from the big birds lol, it worked wonderfully and I just opened it up and used it as a giant gate in the pen. I plan to put her in this now to contain her so the other girls can go back in the coop and do there business and the pen to relax.she can sit in the pen in the shade and out of the nest boxes lol. Oh and I only had the very large nest box made because it was big enough to fit all the girls and they all loved it, now the think it's just hers. Getting more will fix everything I hope. Now to train the pullets to lay in the new boxes.
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