Won't stop brooding

[Reynolj5]

Hi all,

I have a one year old Jersey Giant who's been brooding in the corner of the coop since July 2nd (6 weeks). In the last few weeks I have read all about how I should have broken her of her broodiness right away. I'm not very good at going back and changing the past though, so my question now is, will she just stop on her own? I had assumed that she would, but after six weeks I'm getting worried.

Context: 2 one year old hens and 6 pullets, all Jersey Giants. I don't have a rooster and I collect any eggs each day.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you some where it will get cold, she should stop, I have left some of mine a long time, have you picked her up and made sure she's not getting too thin, and check her for mites, these are the things that can cause problems, otherwise she will give up eventually, usually with the approach of fall.

 

[sourland]

Lock her in a separate pen away from her nest site. Hens have been known to debilitate themselves to the point of death by staying broody too long.

 

[Reynolj5]

I think she is getting thinner, but I'm not sure what 'too thin' looks like. If I drop food in front of her, she eats it. I force her to go out and play sometimes. She seems to act pretty normally once she's outside. I'll lock her away from her nest tomorrow night and see if that helps.

You are saying that she'll really just sit there for months on end until either it gets cold or she withers away? That's awful

We're in New England, so it will get cold at night starting in perhaps another month.

Some people have suggested slipping ice cubes under her. Seems kind of mean, but I could try that as well if people think it might actually work.

 

[WNCcluck]

We have an Australorp who's a tough one to break when she gets broody. We put hardware cloth in the bottom of a small dog crate, put the crate up on some landscape blocks, put food and water in, and lock her in for a few days. That way her tummy gets cooled off, she's just enough uncomfortable not to "nest" on the hardware cloth, she's still with her buddies, and she has food and water handy. Also, the poop will fall through the hardware cloth so she stays clean. Usually, three days in "the box" will do it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Lock her in a separate pen away from her nest site. Hens have been known to debilitate themselves to the point of death by staying broody too long.

Yes- I had one die from brooding too long. I had tried to break her of it twice but didn't give it long enough. I had only tried for about two days. Now I know it can take a week for them to stop.

The separate pen or hutch works! Now I give my hens a week.

 

[Reynolj5]

Is the key point keeping her away from her nest or dropping her body temperature? I don't have a separate space prepared. Do you think locking her in the run for a few days would be enough of a disruption to her routine to break her?

 

[sourland]

For me the most important factor was keeping them away from the nest site and generally for far longer than a few days. Some swear by suspended wire mesh cages for 'cooling'.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You could try putting something in the area where she's been sitting, it may discourage her, a bucket, board, keep her from getting there.

 

[WNCcluck]

For ours, the issue seems to be not being able to nest. I think that's the main benefit of our broody buster "box" with the wire bottom. It sits inside our 8' x 16' run so whoever is in the box is safe from predators.