Concerned for broody hen!

[JosieMae]

Hi!
I have a seven month silkie bantam and she is seriously broody! She sits on nothing or steals other chickens eggs. I DO NOT WANT HER BROODY, and I'm worried because she isn't eating and drinking....I've kept her outside the coop all day and whenever she'd try to brood I'd always put an ice pack underneath her to get her up.
How can I get her eating and drinking and how can I break her broodiness?

 

[andreanar]

I use an old dog crate, I put it up on cinder blocks inside the coop. Put ice packs under it so it keeps the bottom cool, no bedding in there, just some food and water. Keep her in there for 3-4 days or so, then let her out and see if she is broke. If she isn't, then back in she goes.

 

[oldhen2345]

Hi!
I have a seven month silkie bantam and she is seriously broody! She sits on nothing or steals other chickens eggs. I DO NOT WANT HER BROODY, and I'm worried because she isn't eating and drinking....I've kept her outside the coop all day and whenever she'd try to brood I'd always put an ice pack underneath her to get her up.
How can I get her eating and drinking and how can I break her broodiness?

I have a broody Buff Orpington. I tried everything in the world to break her broodiness and thought I finally had her broken with the ice packs in the nesting boxes, but after a few weeks, she went broody again. I love her, but she is a mean old girl when she's broody. I finally just bit the bullet and got some fertile eggs for her to hatch. I segregated her in the baby barn since it is empty right now. I hope this works- if not- ssss ?Freezer camp? (I tried giving her away on Craigs list, but everyone said they did not want a hen THAT broody. LOL)

 

[Eggcessive]

I had 2 silkies that went broody every other month, it seemed. It helps to place them in a large cage on the ground without bedding. We made a large pen on grass, and I keep a tarp over it to shade and keep dry. I place a roost in there as well, and keep them and a friend for 3-5 days. Throw a few snacks in there to peck around to help occupy them. Some are more stubbornly broody.

 

[varidgerunner]

There are two ways to break them. Either by keeping them from keeping their belly warm, or by letting them hatch chicks. If you don't want broody hens, there are lots of breeds that have had that instinct genetically removed. The ones with lots of broody instinct will keep going broody, and you will have to break them several times a year.

 

[JosieMae]

I have a broody Buff Orpington. I tried everything in the world to break her broodiness and thought I finally had her broken with the ice packs in the nesting boxes, but after a few weeks, she went broody again. I love her, but she is a mean old girl when she's broody. I finally just bit the bullet and got some fertile eggs for her to hatch. I segregated her in the baby barn since it is empty right now. I hope this works- if not- ssss ?Freezer camp? (I tried giving her away on Craigs list, but everyone said they did not want a hen THAT broody. LOL)

Don't send them to freezer camp! Find someone who wants their eggs hatched and give her away to them!!!

 

[Redhead Rae]

The dog crate breaking or giving her eggs are your best options. However, I had one broody (Dominique) that was both REALLY stubbornly broody and really mean. I refuse to give hatching eggs to any hen that tries to tear a chunk out of my hand when I get near her. I tried to do the dog crate idea, but I tried it 3 different times and she was broody again the next week. I finally moved her into a run that had no nest boxes, with a different rooster and that seemed to snap her out of it. There is now a place for her to lay eggs. She has shown signs of trying to go broody again, but every time she shows even the slightest bit of broodiness, I take away the nest box.

 

[oldhen2345]

Weelll, my super broody hen was moved to the baby barn to be segregated- I needed free nesting boxes in the coop. She continued brooding, so I got some fertile eggs and put them under her- guess what- she isn't broody any more. I think she is just contrary. She has had the eggs in her new nesting box for a couple of days and will not sit on them. She did sit in the box when it was empty of eggs. I even moved some into a makeshift nesting box - I turned a tub on it's side and put pine shavings in with the eggs. She didn't like that either. So now what?? How long before the eggs are definitely unhatchable? I hate to waste them, but wanted to give her a chance. When is too late to put them in the incubator- which I really didn't want to do again this year.

 

[sdaikus]

I have my two broody VERY BONDED hens in a crate in the coop right now.. it’s up on bricks, but it’s cold here.. about 20-30 degrees. Is that ok? I hope this works.. I don’t care if they lay eggs but they are loosing weight by sitting in the boxes all day!

 

[oldhen2345]

I have my two broody VERY BONDED hens in a crate in the coop right now.. it’s up on bricks, but it’s cold here.. about 20-30 degrees. Is that ok? I hope this works.. I don’t care if they lay eggs but they are loosing weight by sitting in the boxes all day!

My Buff Orpington, Alberta, had a very bad year last year. She stayed broody for months- sitting in the nesting box continually. She would sit on the roost and pout when I closed off the nesting boxes. She got thin and scraggly looking, comb turned pale, legs were pale. I worried that I would loose her, but she finally came around and stopped being broody and started eating again. Then she molted. This winter, she has rallied and looks pretty good for an older girl. I would worry a little about the cold temp in the coop, but I think chickens are made to withstand a good broody spell.