How to Break a Broody Hen

[CoopHome Judie]

I have a white leghorn, "Ms. Pearl", who has recently been sitting on her egg a lot longer and not so easily giving it up. She has been mean when I try to gather her egg. She pecks and doesn't let go and gets really upset. She is still laying every day and is sitting on it longer but will still leave it after a while. Is this still considered broody? I've not had my chickens a year yet so I've never experienced this behavior.

 

[bruceha2000]

I have a white leghorn, "Ms. Pearl", who has recently been sitting on her egg a lot longer and not so easily giving it up. She has been mean when I try to gather her egg. She pecks and doesn't let go and gets really upset. She is still laying every day and is sitting on it longer but will still leave it after a while. Is this still considered broody? I've not had my chickens a year yet so I've never experienced this behavior.

If they leave on their own, they aren't likely broody though she might be leaning that way. I don't think Leghorns are generally a broody breed. I figure it takes some effort to lay an egg (and have seen some of my girls kind of wheezing when they do) so maybe your hen is just saying "GIMME A MINUTE HERE, I JUST LAID AN EGG!"

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Each hen seems to have her own component of broody skills. Some are just more competent than others. Especially breeds that have been selectively bred for production. It seems their DNA for broodiness can be a bit scrambled.

I like to call these birds "Kardashi-hens" because they seem to dither between laying & brooding. "Gee, do I want a career? Or a family? I just can't decide!"

 

[Stuffedcritter]

Each hen seems to have her own component of broody skills. Some are just more competent than others. Especially breeds that have been selectively bred for production. It seems their DNA for broodiness can be a bit scrambled.

I like to call these birds "Kardashi-hens" because they seem to dither between laying & brooding. "Gee, do I want a career? Or a family? I just can't decide!"

just to funny

 

[jeanetteiacovon]

Jeanetteiacovon, one of the great things about keeping chickens is that there are really so very many different methods that can work for all sorts of folks.  I'm glad your basketball method worked to help break your broody hen's spell.

The way I keep my hens in a Broody Buster cage is not at all cruel, harsh, or uncomfortable.  The cage is kept right in the pen with her home flock so that she can see & hear them the whole time, she can feel secure and not in distress.  It is not too small to cause her discomfort, the wire bottom is firm & supportive, and there is even a roost for her to rest upon.

The idea is to create an environment the opposite of what they want to be broody.  Light instead of shaded, airy instead of warm & moist, a roost instead of bedding.  My hens usually stay in there 2-3 days before they're ready to return to their regularly scheduled programming.  

If I thought it was unkind treatment I would NEVER put them in there.  I think it is much more kind than letting them set on sterile eggs for weeks at a time.  And when I have a hen who frequently goes broody I will set her with eggs to satisfy her strong broody instincts. 

I guess I have been very lucky with the hens I have had. I just see that the way mine are and they would be so upset if I separated one from the group in a cage. I get it that they have already removed themselves from the flock but in a cage they can not return. I know it is not the end of the world, but maybe you could try placing her in a bath to cool her down. Have you tryed that and did it work for you? I have heard that works well.

 

[bruceha2000]

I guess I have been very lucky with the hens I have had. I just see that the way mine are and they would be so upset if I separated one from the group in a cage. I get it that they have already removed themselves from the flock but in a cage they can not return. I know it is not the end of the world, but maybe you could try placing her in a bath to cool her down. Have you tryed that and did it work for you? I have heard that works well.

It might but it depends on when she goes broody. I have 4 that routinely go broody. Both Faverolles are already on round THREE this year. The first time was mid March when the temps are well below freezing at night and not much above during the day. I wouldn't go dunking my hen in water at those temps (and I know you wouldn't either). I once tried putting a refreezable ice pack under a broody in the summer. She thawed two in succession and didn't budge an inch, still HOT under her breast, she just kept pumping the heat to the "eggs" she was "hatching".

The problem with being worried that they can't go back to the flock is that a hard core broody WON'T go back to the flock. Not even after the 21 day incubation period is over. The hormones apparently don't check the calendar. If the chicks don't hatch, keep sitting. I got 7 chicks (hatched Monday) from Meyer this morning, I am going to put them under my Black Australorp that has been broody for a couple of weeks. I made a brooding pen in the coop and moved her with her 2 plastic eggs on Saturday. PRESUMABLY once they start hearing the chicks peeping they transition from brooding to mothering. Which has me thinking, I WONDER if one had a recording of chicks peeping and played it for their broody, the "spell" may be broken. Problem is, there won't be any chicks and who knows how that would go. They might need peeping AND little bodies squirming under them.

In my experience, you CAN tell when they are breaking out of the hormone grip when they are in the buster. They sound different and they act differently. And when you open that door, if they are "over it" they will return to the flock. No harm, no foul, no shunning by the other girls. They are more likely to get shunned when they are going into their broody state and being pissy all the time. Much as I know you think the buster is animal cruelty, they get back to the flock and happy healthy chicken eating, drinking and other activities WAY faster that if you wait them out which can take MONTHS according to some posts here.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Because each hen is different, with her own component of broody instincts & skills, there are a variety of ways to break one's broody mood. Some hens are so lightly committed their broodiness can be broken by simply taking her off the nest and putting her out in the sunny yard with the rest of the flock and maybe some cracked corn to make her forget. The cold water dunk will work for other hens, I have tried it with limited success.

With my flock I've had the greatest success using a Broody Buster cage. Most hens need no more than 3-4 days there before their broody mood is broken. I try to get them in there as soon as its apparent they're feeling broody and putting them in the yard by day or up on the roost at night doesn't change their mood.

I think we need to realize that there is a wide range of reasons people keep chickens, from purely profit-making livestock to pampered indoor pets, and all stages in-between. Practices that seem reasonable & customary to one keeper may seem unkind, or unnecessary, to another. I think we can respect each other's viewpoints without being critical.

 

[Southern Dad]

I encountered my first broody hen. I had to come up with a solution because she was staying in one of the nesting boxes all the time even though there were no eggs. Our eggs roll under a screen to where the chickens can't get to them. Night an day she'd stay in the nesting box. I started evicting her and blocking the nesting boxes off at night but as soon as I opened them in the morning, she was back in it.

Big problem was that with her in there, the other chickens are off their laying schedules. I only got two eggs today, we average six a day.

Today, I took my large dog crate (I used to have a mastiff.) and hung it upside down using the tray for the top gives me that rain and sun cover. Lots of air flow to cool that bottom. She's got food and water. She can see the other hens and ducks. I'm planning to leave her in there a few days until she lays an egg.

I also have no roosters so there won't be any fertilized eggs.

 

[bruceha2000]

I encountered my first broody hen. I had to come up with a solution because she was staying in one of the nesting boxes all the time even though there were no eggs. Our eggs roll under a screen to where the chickens can't get to them. Night an day she'd stay in the nesting box. I started evicting her and blocking the nesting boxes off at night but as soon as I opened them in the morning, she was back in it.

Big problem was that with her in there, the other chickens are off their laying schedules. I only got two eggs today, we average six a day.

Today, I took my large dog crate (I used to have a mastiff.) and hung it upside down using the tray for the top gives me that rain and sun cover. Lots of air flow to cool that bottom. She's got food and water. She can see the other hens and ducks. I'm planning to leave her in there a few days until she lays an egg.

I also have no roosters so there won't be any fertilized eggs.

Two things:
1 - Put 1/2" hardware cloth on the bottom so she has something to stand on. You'll have to be careful there are no pokey parts.
2 - DO NOT leave her in there until she lays an egg!!!! Their egg laying hormones (or whatever) shut down when the broody hormones kick in and don't start up for some time after the broody ones have subsided. Do not expect an egg for about 5 days, maybe more, once she is no longer broody. Go by her actions. If she stops being clucky, stops being agitated, let her out in the morning and see what she does. If she goes back to her personal "regular" chicken vocalizations, doesn't flare, doesn't cluck, doesn't head back to the nest box within minutes of being released, she is probably over it. If she heads back to the nests, put her back in the buster until the next day. Since they won't lay for that ~5 day period, there is no reason for her to want to be in the nest other than still being broody.

 

[Nardo]

Ok, wow. My first broody hen, and after reading through a bunch of posts and satisfying myself that the squalling, puffing, hateful glaring, catatonic zoning out, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde behavior shift is NOT a severe life threatening condition

- now I have another bit that I need advice about.

It is really hot here. Today it will probably hit 100 and it's a bit muggy. The girls have water and a wading pool and shade cloth and even a fan. My question is for anyone who has sequestered a broody hen in this kind of heat. Even if I put her up off the ground with water and in the shade, I'm still worried due to her inability to move around and potentially cool off.

If I put her inside somewhere, then she is separated and maybe that's not a good idea either?

Any ideas or thoughts?

Thanks