Extremely stubborn broody - what next?

[Perris]

Both times I broke first and put her in a crate

so it has never terminated naturally?

I have read other people's posts about hens dying on the nest when brooding, though it is the sort of behaviour that natural selection should weed out quickly. Sometimes it turned out that the hen was actually ill, not broody.

In the case of your young broody, it sounds as if it's definitely broodiness not illness, but I would be inclined to just leave her be, and wait for her hormones to switch off themselves. It may be tough to watch, but trying to switch them off by breaking her isn't working - hence this thread, of course. Her will to survive should be stronger than her will to reproduce, and if they switch off naturally I would expect them not to resurface so quickly. Hens build reserves before they go broody and she must have spent a lot of hers by now. It shouldn't take too long.

 

[RoyalChick]

so it has never terminated naturally?

I have read other people's posts about hens dying on the nest when brooding, though it is the sort of behaviour that natural selection should weed out quickly. Sometimes it turned out that the hen was actually ill, not broody.

In the case of your young broody, it sounds as if it's definitely broodiness not illness, but I would be inclined to just leave her be, and wait for her hormones to switch off themselves. It may be tough to watch, but trying to switch them off by breaking her isn't working - hence this thread, of course. Her will to survive should be stronger than her will to reproduce, and if they switch off naturally I would expect them not to resurface so quickly. Hens build reserves before they go broody and she must have spent a lot of hers by now. It shouldn't take too long.

I will give that another go. I am hoping that as it is nearly winter she won’t immediately go broody again this time.
It seems to me the only difference between the cage and her nest is that I can more easily tempt her with food in the cage. She is a push over for scrambled egg and sunflower seeds.
So maybe I let her sit her time in the cage and just keep refilling her cage bowl with tempting things.

 

[Perris]

You might get quicker results if you

let her sit her time in the cage

and place immediately outside it a

bowl with tempting things

, especially if she can see everyone else gobbling them up

 

[aart]

I had a broody one summer, I broke her 6 times after letting her hatch in early spring. I finally gave her away to someone who wanted a broody, she never went broody again.