Chronic broodiness

[16 and me]

Last fall I inherited a mama hen with her 3 chicks. They are now laying. Immediately after she separated from them she was brooding again and hatched 4 new chicks end of December. She started separating from them last week, and laid her first egg yesterday. Tonight she's back in the nest box.
I don't need any more chicks. My question is what is harder on a hen, chronic broodiness or being broken of her broodiness? Either way I'm sure it takes a toll on them. I've never had to do the broody jail thing, and I work long days so I'm not sure how easy it'll be for me to break her even if I decide to go that route.

Chicken tax:

 

[aart]

I've never had to do the broody jail thing, and I work long days so I'm not sure how easy it'll be for me to break her even if I decide to go that route.

Put her in a breaker crate and fill her feed and water daily as needed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[FrostRanger]

Chronic broodiness is definitely harder on her. I agree, if you don't want more chicks, definitely put her in broody jail

 

[ChookaPete]

Last fall I inherited a mama hen with her 3 chicks. They are now laying. Immediately after she separated from them she was brooding again and hatched 4 new chicks end of December. She started separating from them last week, and laid her first egg yesterday. Tonight she's back in the nest box.
I don't need any more chicks. My question is what is harder on a hen, chronic broodiness or being broken of her broodiness? Either way I'm sure it takes a toll on them. I've never had to do the broody jail thing, and I work long days so I'm not sure how easy it'll be for me to break her even if I decide to go that route.

Chicken tax:
View attachment 4075301

Awww Mama and Baby look so sweet together!


I'll reply properly in a separate message.

 

[ChookaPete]

I have been wondering this too - as I suspect I have a hen with chronic broodiness as well.

Clover, one of my Hy-Line hens (pictured in avatar, the first time she was broody), is currently broody for the third time in her life, at barely 1.5 years old. It is surprising that she is chronically broody for a hybrid chicken that is bred to not go broody!

• First time broody - about a month after Point Of Lay - April 2024 - I gave her fertile eggs to hatch. She successfully raised Chamomile, then re-started laying eggs
• Second time broody - January 2025 - I broke her out of it by isolating her in a tent with food, water, and a log to perch on. She re-started laying eggs, until...
• Third time broody - March 2025 (present) - I have let her be broody. I will be getting some day-old chicks from the stockfeed shop (or a breeder) to put underneath her this Friday evening (Saturday 29th will be the 21st day).

With those two upcoming chicks, that will be twelve chickens in my flock, which is the limit I can keep in my council district. I guess I could keep more and keep quiet about it...but I don't want to rattle the fence so to speak. I am extremely hesitant to harvest or re-home any of my flock because they are my literally my children!
So until some do naturally die, I guess I'll have to just break Clover out of any future bouts of broodiness. I am already concerned that her going broody twice within the space of three months is taking its toll on her. It does not help that she is also my favourite of my flock.

 

[Paz]

I think you should break her bloodiness, put her in the jail.

 

[ChookaPete]

I think you should break her bloodiness, put her in the jail.

She has a history of being a good mother, so on the eve of the 21st day, I will place two new chicks underneath her. I'll also put a shallow container of water and a container of mashed boiled egg for them to all to eat.

On the morning of Day 21, after they have bonded, I shall transfer the little family to a tent on my patio for their safety, since there is a stray cat lurking about. They'll have plenty of crumbles to eat, water to drink, and a wading pool of dirt to scratch in. It will be their nursery for about a month or so. Then they can join the rest of the flock.