Young Broody Hen

[DIMBY]

I have had broody hens before, but nothing like this and nothing this young. She is barely five months old and boy is she mean! She's been broody almost a week now, have tried golf balls, spritzing with water, removing her several times a day (I have to wrap her in a towel to pick her up off the nest or she'll shred my arms). Anybody have ideas on such a young hen? They're pets, I do not cull, btw.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You need to remove her to a separate pen or a wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground for 3-5 days generally to break her. If she's already broody, she will go broody multiple times so getting something set up will help in the long term.

Leaving a hen broody is taxing, so it's best to break asap.

Provide feed and water. Leave her in the pen for 3 days. Let her out. If she returns to the nest back to the cage for another few days.

 

[aart]

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[ChickenThunderdome]

You need to remove her to a separate pen or a wire bottom crate slightly elevated off the ground for 3-5 days generally to break her.

Sorry but I couldn't help reading this and thinking.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry but I couldn't help reading this and thinking.

Exactly.

 

[Julesstarohio56]

I’m glad you posted this, DIMBY. I have the same thing going on. She’s only 6 months old, but was the first to lay and the top hen. She’s in the nest when I go in in the morning and in a nest at night! Funny thing is she’s not sitting on an egg and keeps switching nests. I do have an egg shaped stone in each, though.
Isn’t this way too early to be broody? And, seeing that’s it’s September and Ohio, would it be bad to let her hatch some eggs? Will she come out to eat and drink? First flock for me. Sorry to hijack your post.