Broody Hen Help!

donnerbrandpears

Chirping
12 Years
Jun 12, 2010
23
7
79
Hello. I have three hens and live in Northern California. For going on three weeks, one (best layer) is obsessively sitting in her nest, trying to hatch invisible eggs. I don't know what to do about it. I have tried:

* Locking her out of the nest during the day. She just walks around fluffed up and clucks and then runs back in as soon as she can.
* Sitting her in a cold water bath (not ice water) for four minutes to lower her temperature because the Internet told me it works. It didn't do anything.

This is really affecting my egg production. How can I break her of this??

Thanks.
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ChickNanny13

Crossing the Road
9 Years
Jun 23, 2013
9,572
13,574
987
The Big Island/Hawaii
WIRE dog crate ... The idea is air circulation all around the hen. Remove the tray, install a 1x2 welded wire at the bottom where the tray would have sat. Elevate off the ground, put the hen with feed/water for at least 3 days. No bedding nothing ... If 3 days isn't enough extend her stay in Broody Jail. Certain breeds are prone to broodiness :hmm
 

Morrigan

Free Ranging
8 Years
Apr 9, 2014
3,115
12,371
702
N. California
Some hens just really, really like to be broody. The wire crate is probably you best bet, although some find that the hens go back to being broody within a few weeks after been "broken." The other option is to give her fertile eggs, or a 1-4 day old chick to foster. You still won't get eggs until she's done hatching/mothering, but it's a rewarding thing to watch. Sometimes it actually works out well, in terms of eggs, as the broody ends up resuming laying in time for fall and winter, when the other hens go into molt and quit laying.

Or, see if you can re-home her to someone that wants a broody hen and get another hen in a breed not know for broodiness.

I personally wouldn't want to be constantly fighting against a hen's desire to brood. I'd try to make it work to my advantage, or re-home.
 

aart

Chicken Juggler!
Premium Feather Member
9 Years
Nov 27, 2012
104,246
156,408
1,867
SW Michigan
My Coop
My Coop
WIRE dog crate ... The idea is air circulation all around the hen. Remove the tray, install a 1x2 welded wire at the bottom where the tray would have sat. Elevate off the ground, put the hen with feed/water for at least 3 days. No bedding nothing ... If 3 days isn't enough extend her stay in Broody Jail. Certain breeds are prone to broodiness :hmm
This^^^
Might take a longer or shorter time since she's been setting for 3 weeks already.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours I let her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor, gives the feet a break from the wire floor and encourages roosting.
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donnerbrandpears

Chirping
12 Years
Jun 12, 2010
23
7
79
Thanks everyone. I don't have a wire crate like this, but I guess I can get one.

I'm frustrated because the other chick I got at the same time as Mrs. Broody turned out to be a rooster, so I rehomed him. Then one of the other two just doesn't lay--the few times she did, her eggs came out long and weird, so I guess something is wrong with her. She seems perfectly healthy otherwise, so I am going to rehome her. Basically at this point I have one egg laying chicken. It's to the point I almost want to give up, even though I've consistently had hens for a long time.
 

Morrigan

Free Ranging
8 Years
Apr 9, 2014
3,115
12,371
702
N. California
Thanks everyone. I don't have a wire crate like this, but I guess I can get one.

I'm frustrated because the other chick I got at the same time as Mrs. Broody turned out to be a rooster, so I rehomed him. Then one of the other two just doesn't lay--the few times she did, her eggs came out long and weird, so I guess something is wrong with her. She seems perfectly healthy otherwise, so I am going to rehome her. Basically at this point I have one egg laying chicken. It's to the point I almost want to give up, even though I've consistently had hens for a long time.
I can understand your frustration. That's some poor luck. If you don't want to give up, and you have a feed store nearby selling chicks less than a week old, this broody hen is chance to replenish your stock, without you having the hassle of setting up a brooder.

Or maybe you can find someone willing to do a straight up swap for your broody hen for same aged hen who is laying well.

Hope something works out for you. Chickens should be, for the most part, a pleasure, not a source of frustration.
 

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