Ice pack to break broody?

[Shared Acres]

I saw this thread about cooling chickens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=61883&p=5 and when I went to get some ice packs yesterday I bought the huge blocks.

But I also saw small baggy type ones. So I bought two and put them in the freezer last night. My silkies go broody every 2-3 months and my Oprah is hatching out bedding right now.

So this morning, I reached under her and placed an ice pack with a little bedding over it under her.

Hoping this will switch her temp (as I had read that their temp goes up during broodiness, right?) and she'll get off the nest and out of the hot chicken house for the day.

If nothing else, it should keep her cool, it's been up to 103 over the weekend.

I'll let you know how it goes. Hoping for success.

 

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

Yes let us know if it works, my poor daughter all her hens are wanting to set!!!

 

[Shared Acres]

Well the first day she sat on the thing so long it turned HOT.

Second day she just jumped off it after a while and found a new nest to hatch nothing on. Third day the same thing.

 

[JohnL11935]

My Australorps have been pitiful lately. My wife found one of them sitting in a dark corner of the laying boxes and thought it was dead. Nope, just sitting on another clutch of eggs she 'found.'

 

[Dirt Road]

Quote:
Well chickens aren't rocket scientists, but they ain't plumb stupid either.
Get a cage, with a wire bottom and a feed and water dish in it as well as some sort of roost. Suspend it up off the ground. If you don't want the hen to be broody, put her in there 24/7 for a few days. Some only need 3 days some will take a week. When you turn her out if she spends the first night out back on a nest, give her another stay in the cage for a couple of days longer than the last time.
"Cooling them down" doesn't have an effect. The hens actual body temp drops slightly when she is broody. Several studies have been done to verify that, for those who are shaking their head in disagreement.

Jim