Broody Hen

[LaurasNew]

My gorgeous hen, Amelia, though they are all gorgeous to me tbh, has suddenly gone broody! She is the first one to do this! I collect the eggs and clean every day. She started sitting on nothing 2 days ago, then yesterday I was very busy with the kids so collecting eggs later and she was in the box, a little trance like. The others went to roost as usual but she didn't come out! I picked her up and she stayed in her trance state for a few minutes, I closed the door to the boxes( they are outside the shed they roost in, there is a box in there but they don't use it). Today she was sitting on eggs, feathers all around them, she is a brahma and I know they are normally great mothers. I wouldn't mind chicks but I am def not set up for them to be safe. I closed up the nesting box in question. Am I making things harder for her by not doing the 3 day seperation often recommended? I have a cage and a garage but she hopped up on the roost with the others tonight, I'd hate to seperate her unnecessarily. Thanks in advance

 

[DowntownWings]

If you can catch a broody and break her early without having to put her in broody jail then that’s a good thing. I’ve never had to build a broody jail because I’ve caught them early enough and they have all been cooperative enough. I don’t think it’s hard on them at all. Sitting on eggs that will never hatch, on the other hand, is very hard on them. Broody hens hardly eat or drink and it can be physically very draining on a hen even when she is successful and raises chicks. So, no. I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.

 

[LaurasNew]

If you can catch a broody and break her early without having to put her in broody jail then that’s a good thing. I’ve never had to build a broody jail because I’ve caught them early enough and they have all been cooperative enough. I don’t think it’s hard on them at all. Sitting on eggs that will never hatch, on the other hand, is very hard on them. Broody hens hardly eat or drink and it can be physically very draining on a hen even when she is successful and raises chicks. So, no. I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.

Thanks so much, I don't have so many that I can't keep an eye on her! I can keep lifting her out if needs be. I just don't want her to feel bad for longer than necessary, she seems happy to be on the roost with the others once she comes around but straight back in the next day! Kind of wishing I'd prepared better for this possibility

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

My gorgeous hen, Amelia, though they are all gorgeous to me tbh, has suddenly gone broody! She is the first one to do this! I collect the eggs and clean every day. She started sitting on nothing 2 days ago, then yesterday I was very busy with the kids so collecting eggs later and she was in the box, a little trance like. The others went to roost as usual but she didn't come out! I picked her up and she stayed in her trance state for a few minutes, I closed the door to the boxes( they are outside the shed they roost in, there is a box in there but they don't use it). Today she was sitting on eggs, feathers all around them, she is a brahma and I know they are normally great mothers. I wouldn't mind chicks but I am def not set up for them to be safe. I closed up the nesting box in question. Am I making things harder for her by not doing the 3 day seperation often recommended? I have a cage and a garage but she hopped up on the roost with the others tonight, I'd hate to seperate her unnecessarily. Thanks in advance

If you find something that works, great. I put our wire crate in the run so they don't have access to nest boxes but are still near flock.