Broody jail question

[humblehillsfarm]

I've got two broodies, including one who JUST raised some chicks. I am at max capacity currently, plus temps will only continue to climb so I don't want any hen in that coop all day. My question is, if I put them in broody jail, I have an A-frame coop sitting on the ground, can I put them back in the coop at night after they've all gone to roost? If it's pitch black will they try to go back into the nest box? I also think I'll have to do one at a time because one of the broodies is unfortunately a sweetheart and very low in the pecking order. I hate the thought of broody jail. Right now I am training some new chicks to go to their new coop at night, so a temporary run is errected, and yesterday I put both broody hens outside of the run with food and water (they are used to free ranging anyways) but when night time came, they went straight back into the nest box. On top of that, my sweet hen had a very bloody comb so I'm not sure if she tried to get into the fence, or got into a fight with the other hen. I never heard any ruckus.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Before you put them into broody jail, you could just try kicking them out of the nest box as often as possible. You can also put a bottle of frozen water under them. They don't like that. I have a hen who has gone broody several times, and I have always managed to break her without putting her into broody jail.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Before you put them into broody jail, you could just try kicking them out of the nest box as often as possible. You can also put a bottle of frozen water under them. They don't like that. I have a hen who has gone broody several times, and I have always managed to break her without putting her into broody jail.

I tried those things with the hen that just hatched babies. Tried for three weeks. I have only tried removing the other hen but I've been doing it for almost a week now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can put them back on the roost once it's dark if you want, but you'll need to re-jail them as soon as you're up in the morning. It may take longer to break them like that as well since they can sit in the nest for a little bit in the AM.

 

[rotagen]

The cool/cold water soak method works on all my faverolles and they like it..they'll let you know when they're fed up usually around 5 min. Get the whole lower half of body in there. Sometimes it takes 2 dunks a day apart. I can't do the jail thing.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I haven’t tried cold water baths. One hen injured her comb and I had to put her in isolation which has broken her broodiness but my rooster needs antibiotics and it has to be mixed into his feed so he’s nest for the isolation chamber. That leaves me with one broody hen and no place to isolate her.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I haven’t tried cold water baths. One hen injured her comb and I had to put her in isolation which has broken her broodiness but my rooster needs antibiotics and it has to be mixed into his feed so he’s nest for the isolation chamber. That leaves me with one broody hen and no place to isolate her.

Might need to invest in more than one isolation unit. I use my brooder for one and it simply sits in the run all the time. I have a small dog exercise pen for a second unit, and it folds up and stores in the garage.

 

[aart]

I have 4 of these....$10-20 bucks at the flea market:
They all fold up so not much space for storing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

 

[BackyardJulz]

The dog crates are a great idea. Thanks for sharing that as I have a super broody hen that I didn’t know what to do about breaking her behavior.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have 4 of these....$10-20 bucks at the flea market:
They all fold up so not much space for storing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

Wow thanks for the suggestion. I never considered a foldable crate. I never thought I’d need more than two confinement centers but now I need three!!