Repeatedly broody hen

[nep big red]

We started our chicken family last spring with 10 chicks - 5 Rhode Island Reds and 5 Buff Orpingtons. We were lucky - we bought a place in the country with a small barn and the former owners had already set up a perfect hen house. Lots of room, 6 nesting boxes and room for at least 6 more - even more if we wanted to build more frames, etc. We also fenced in a very large area for them to occupy during the day - large enough they’re considered free range. It’s approximately 100’ x 50’.
One of our Buff Orpingtons started acting broody last fall, after we found a hidden nest with 20 eggs in it! We suspected a hidden nest when our egg gathering suddenly dropped from 5 or 6 a day to 2 or 3. We made it impossible for any of them to get in that particular spot again!!
However, “Broody” must’ve decided that was her purpose in life as we’ve been dealing with her broodiness ever since! She’s been in “chicken jail” for 2 to 3 day sentences numerous times. She gets back to normal, & we give her an extra day in jail. Then, within a couple days, she’s back at it again.
Although she fluffs up and screeches at us, she does allow us to pick her up out of the nesting box, doesn’t peck at us, and we’re able to hold her, pet her, and get her to calm down. We put her down near the feed & water, she eats & drinks, and, if it’s morning, we get her outside. She’ll remain outside for about an hour or two - then she goes back to the hen house.
The “chicken jail” is a rabbit cage - wire mesh on the bottom. She’s given no bedding while in jail and we’ve never gotten an egg from her while in jail. And when she’s sitting in a nesting box, there’s usually not an egg under her.
I’ve read a number of threads here with a number of different ideas. One idea I’m considering is getting a couple of chicks & introducing them to her. We had already planned to get 6 ISA Brown chicks this spring, so I’m looking for anyone who has done this to give me some tips ... 1. even though she usually doesn’t sit on any eggs, should I “give” her a couple to sit on for a week or two? Do golf balls really work as a substitute? What about the ceramic eggs? I do have a couple of those. We don’t have a rooster (gave away one Buff because she was a he!) and have no intention of getting one.
2. If we “give” her a chick or two, do we leave them with her (as long as we see she’s carrying for them!) or do we take them away after a couple weeks & put them in the brooder with the other 4 chicks we’d get at the same time?
3. Bathing her & keeping her in a cage in the house overnight is NOT an option in our opinion! Neither one of us are eager to try that. Plus we have a house cat!!!
4. As to the idea of “Giving” her baby chicks - could we build a brooder that would be taller, put screens over the top, and just put her in there with the baby chicks? Maybe leave her in there for a couple of weeks with them?
As you can tell by now, I’ve been mulling over different options.

 

[Shorty22366]

If you give her chicks and she accepts them why not let her raise them. Alot easier than a brooder.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I think #4 is your best option. Give her a few round things to sit on for a week or two before you get chicks, bring the chicks home, make sure they are eating and drinking well and are LESS than 5 days old. After dark, put the chicks under her and see how she reacts to them in the morning.

I'll post my setup for introducing a broody and chicks back into the flock later. Broody raised chicks can be introduced to the flock almost from the beginning.

 

[nep big red]

I’m anxious to see your recommendations! I’m assuming you’ve done this numerous times before?
You also mentioned introducing them back to the flock. So taking her out of the flock and isolating her is something you recommend? When should that be done? When I give her the fake eggs?
I’m hoping your notes are quite detailed as I’ve already got questions floating around in my head!

 

[Redhead Rae]

I’m anxious to see your recommendations! I’m assuming you’ve done this numerous times before?
You also mentioned introducing them back to the flock. So taking her out of the flock and isolating her is something you recommend? When should that be done? When I give her the fake eggs?
I’m hoping your notes are quite detailed as I’ve already got questions floating around in my head!

LOL sorry, I've been busy training someone at work and didn't have the time to post. I guess I need to write up an article with pictures to make this easier.

Some people leave their broody girls with the flock, I don't, for many reasons. 1: I have to check every day to see that there are no "extra" eggs under the broody. 2: having other hens climbing in and out of the nest is a recipe for broken eggs. 3: Newly hatched chicks are fragile, in the wild, chickens build their nest away from the flock and bring them back when they are several days old.

To move her, I wait until dark and put her in a "broody box" which is a tote with a door. I make the bedding out of hay since that molds very well into a nest hollow and keeps the eggs from rolling away from her.

I use a 5'X5'X2' PVC pen covered in small net wire with the broody box inside. I keep that inside the run with the rest of the flock. I let the girl brood there so she won't be disturbed by other girls coming to her nest if she is incubating eggs. I open to door every morning, and check her food and water. Depending on the girl, I'll remove her from the nest once a day until day 18. Some girls are good about leaving the nest for food and water, others aren't. After the chicks hatch, they live in there for a week, where the flock can see them until they get stronger. Then 1-2 hours before dark, I prop the pen and let mama and chicks out when I can watch them with the flock. Mama and chicks will come back to the box to sleep and I shut them in again. After that, I let them out after they eat in the morning and close them up at night until mama leaves the nest. Usually when this happens, the babies stay behind. At this point, if they are big enough to fend for themselves, I move them into the coop with everyone else. If not, I do the morning feeding just without mama.

 

[aart]

I haven't ever grafted day old chicks to a broody, but have let them hatch a couple times.
I am able to section off part of the coop(4x6') for a floor nest and plenty of space for her to get up and eat/drink/POOP/stretch her legs...and space for me to get in there and check on her.

Very nice to have her within sight of the flock and not have to deal with......

1: I have to check every day to see that there are no "extra" eggs under the broody. 2: having other hens climbing in and out of the nest is a recipe for broken eggs. 3: Newly hatched chicks are fragile, in the wild, chickens build their nest away from the flock and bring them back when they are several days old.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Very nice to have her within sight of the flock and not have to deal with......

Yup, my thoughts exactly.

 

[Acre4Me]

We placed 5 day old chicks with a broody last fall. We removed her from the nest box and placed her in a 6’x3’ brooder box with solid sides, but wire mesh lids (2 lids side by side). This brooder is in the barn, and up against the barn wall with a modified dog door that we can securely close. We made sure broody was settled into her new nest. Waited till late at night and pitch dark. We placed 7 chicks behind her in the nest, in the dark. Checked on her at 7 am and could see no chicks. By 9 am she was teaching them chicken ways. After a few days, we opened dog door and let them venture out to a sectioned off area of the run. That way momma and chicks had a exposure to the flock. They would go in and out of the brooder throughout the day. She was a great momma hen.

She’s broody again! We are scheduled to pick up 8 chicks tomorrow. We’ve moved broody to the brooder and she seems settled in. She’s been broody for approx 3 weeks. We will try the chick intro tomorrow late at night!