Topic: Broody Hens

[BockingBill]

We have 2 Peking Bantam hens and 1 has been broody now for about 4 weeks and now the second one has decided to join her. We keep lifting them out of the box and put them in the run for their food and water but at the first opportunity they get back in the nest box. It seems to upset the other hens as the Peking's take over the box that they have all designated as the "laying" box.

Any ideas on how we can deal with this as I am concerned Mrs BockingBill will also go the same way  :D

[xlynettex]

its difficult , some say to leave them get on with it but move them out to a brooding box  so they don`t upset the rest of the hens, some say to move her to a run in a cooler spot to change her mind.

1 0f my hens is also broody but i bought some fertile eggs for her to sit on . this will be my first batch  ;D so fingers are crossed for a 6 out of 6 hatching

[jonny211]

Two broodies you lucky chap - I can't even get one to sit on a clutch of eggs for more than 5 minutes.

That aside do you visit the Practical Poultry forums? In their reference section there's an item on breaking broody hens via the sin bin approach, this worked for me and turned a broody back into a normal chicken after a few days.

If you don't want them to hatch eggs then it may be best to break them out of it before they lose condition.

[BockingBill]

Seem to remember from somewhere that you can put ice cube pack under them and this can break the broodiness. Question is how long can you do this for at any one time?

[teresa]

sometimes just a change of place will do it away from the others nothing to nest in no straw etc  just food and water. I too have heard of metal open mesh cages hanging from trees even dunking the hens underneath in cold water to bring them out of it. All a little extreem but try just moving them to start with. Or get some eggs ha ha

[Mrs Soup]

My Maran gets the naughty corner treatment.
I make a cage in the corner of the pen with food and water in it. she can see the other hens so doesn't lose position in the flock.
After 48 hours I let her out to free range with the others in the evening. If she goes back in the nest box she's returned to the naughty corner.
Repeat until she doesn't go in the nest box.

[bazzysbarn]

We"ve got 3 broody at the moment we just leave them to it. Its funny how they all want to be in the same box though.

[jonny211]

Does anyone know of a way to encourage broodyness? Can you lock them in  a quiet place with a clutch of eggs until they get the idea (with toliet and outdoors breaks of course)? Two of mine aren't laying but aren't brooding either, they're just eating a lot!

[BockingBill]

Does anyone know of a way to encourage broodyness? Can you lock them in  a quiet place with a clutch of eggs until they get the idea (with toliet and outdoors breaks of course)? Two of mine aren't laying but aren't brooding either, they're just eating a lot!

Purchase a couple of Pekings  :)

[teresa]

I can recomend silkies they go broody at the drop of a hat, I have 3 broody now and two share a nest box ( no eggs) 

[bronwylfa]

Bantams, bantams, bantams every day and twice on sundays,  Either keep a couple yourself, mine are buff plymouth rock , look fab and are the sweetest natures.  You could also ask to borrow a broody bantam if someone else has one and doesn't want to raise more chicks, a few spare eggs is what we used to swap for a broody if we needed one.

As to getting them off the nestbox, we just put them in a seperate box and left them to it. ;D

[BockingBill]

Well they are cured for now  :D

We feel that this is partly thanks to the info on sin-binning them - my, my did they have the ache. Plus we have been building a new run with a new house over the weekend and the change plus the 2 days and nights prior to this sin-binning seems to have worked.

Many Thanks for all of the advice Allotments4All strikes again  :)

[jonny211]

Looks like my next purchases will be bantams then, unless there's anyone in Berks/hants with a broody to loan out?

I tried shutting Doris in with a clutch of eggs, she will sit on the eggs and gather any stray eggs underneath her but at the first chance of escape she's off. Looks like last years sin-binning has had a permanent effect on her.

[jonny211]

I've sorted a potential broody, here's hoping she'll settle in and start sitting