Chicken keepers: Is my hen broody?

[astrid]

We've got four hens, 2 barred rocks and 2 buff orpingtons. No roosters. They're more pets than anything, but do produce eggs for us and are so much fun to have! We've had them for a year, since they were pullets, and I ADORE them!

So for the last couple of days one of my buffs is exhibiting weird behavior. She hangs out in the nesting box, feathers all puffed out, squawking and clucking. When I take her out, she doesn't stand right away, just kind of plops down where I put her. Then she stands up, shakes out her feathers, walks around, drinks, eats, and goes outside in the run with the other girls hoping for a treat. When she's around the others, most of the time she puffs herself out like a big Tom Turkey, wings out and down, feathers standing up, tail fanned out. She'll charge them, too, on occasion, which is new-- they all got along perfectly well before the last week. She's not laying, and she's not sitting on anything. In fact, production is down among the whole flock, which is odd because they were laying like crazy a week or so ago. She constantly clucks, and will run back to the nesting box and climb right back in. Oh, and she is doing a LOT of grooming, suddenly. In fact, she seems to have pulled a lot of the soft downy feathers out of her lower abdomen, like right where she'd sit on the eggs.

I'm not that worried because she's eating and drinking and her color is fine. But if it is broodiness, how can I stop it? Or should I stop it? I really don't want this to go on for months!

Thanks, O Wise Chicken Ladies!

[astrid]

bump!!!

[Margaret in CO]

Yes, she's gone broody. The only hope of breaking her up is to move her from the location altogether. You also might try feeding her some higher protein food--dog food works well. Sometimes the extra protein will stimulate her back into production. Cany you get some fertile eggs from a neighbor and let her set a clutch?

[astrid]

Thanks! So, do I put her in a dog crate? I can't really separate the coop; it's a big room with a big attached run. I could put a fence up and "corner" her in one section of the run....will that help?

Fertile eggs.......won't they rot? Or will they actually hatch? And will she be broken of it when they hatch? What if they don't ever hatch? Will she keep this up forever? And what do I do with the babies? I don't want roosters, and actually, I like my little four-hen flock just the way it is; I'd rather not add new ones and worry about them being picked on by the others. Or should I not worry about that?

UGGGHH....I guess I need more advice than I thought I did!

[Doran]

Thanks! So, do I put her in a dog crate? I can't really separate the coop; it's a big room with a big attached run. I could put a fence up and "corner" her in one section of the run....will that help?

Fertile eggs.......won't they rot? Or will they actually hatch? And will she be broken of it when they hatch? What if they don't ever hatch? Will she keep this up forever? And what do I do with the babies? I don't want roosters, and actually, I like my little four-hen flock just the way it is; I'd rather not add new ones and worry about them being picked on by the others. Or should I not worry about that?

UGGGHH....I guess I need more advice than I thought I did!


Depends on how big the crate is and/or what type. Since you've had big dogs, I'm thinking you've got the big kind. YOU don't want to be fooling with an adult hen in a little plastic number with a grate for a door. But, if you have a wire crate w/ no solid bottom, that could be perfect.

The idea is that you eliminate the lovely environment that she has now so she forgets about wanting to bring up babies in this great place. That means no nest box, no bedding material (if possible), no real way for her to scratch up and make a new nest. Ideally, the wire crate could be kept in the coop w/ the other hens. Possibly on a piece of plywood instead of on straw or whatever bedding you use. That way, the other birds will not lose their familiarity with her, so when her broody phase is done, you won't have any trouble reintroducing her back to the flock. Generally, I've found it takes 7-10 days to break a broody bird.

Fertile eggs can be hatched out by a surrogate hen. But, you'll have no control over whether they're male or female. And, you'll have more chickens assuming they hatch. And, they may get picked on.

If you just leave your broody girl alone, she'll probably keep trying for the rest of summer, until day length is shorter and temperatures start to drop. Buff Orps are among the broodiest birds I've ever owned! But, she'll likely molt this year and won't stay broody through that. It's up to you whether you want to fool with breaking her now or just letting her go about her business while you get no eggs from her.

Aren't chickens so funny!?

[Baseballmom]

Yep, she's broody! This has happened to one of our hens twice this year. We have had to kick her out of the hen house and put her in a dog kennel for at least three days. By that time, she should overcome it and be ready to rejoin her flock.
Dorothy
ETA: I didn't read the previous posters response. I guess all chickens are a little different. Our hen has never had trouble rejoining the rest of the birds after being seperated and it took a much shorter time for ours to overcome the broodiness (is that a word?)

[kokotg]

Our white leghorn went broody while we were out of town a couple of weeks ago. I thought she was supposed to have every last ounce of maternal instinct bred out of her, but I guess not. What we did was have her sleep in a dog crate and keep her locked out of the hutch during the day. So we'd let her out in the yard and lock the pen while the other chickens were laying, and then, when they'd finished (everyone lays in the morning), we closed up the hutch where the nesting box is and let everyone run around together. I think we did this for 3 nights before we let her back in with the others. She still hasn't laid an egg, but she's not sitting in the nesting box anymore. I was very tempted to get some eggs for her to hatch, but we're just not ready to deal with chicks again yet.

[Doran]

We have had to kick her out of the hen house and put her in a dog kennel for at least three days. By that time, she should overcome it and be ready to rejoin her flock.


I think we did this for 3 nights before we let her back in with the others. She still hasn't laid an egg, but she's not sitting in the nesting box anymore. I was very tempted to get some eggs for her to hatch, but we're just not ready to deal with chicks again yet.


I guess our hens were just stubborn old birds! I was never successful breaking a broody bird in just three days. If that's all it takes, then there probably would be no concern over reintroducing the bird to her flockmates again. After a week, though, they've completely forgotten who she was, bless their little brains. ;)

[astrid]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your advice. Millicent is now in a dog crate, up on concrete blocks so the rest can't kick shavings in there, with food and water (mixed with Avia Charge 2000.) She's none too happy about it, either! I'll give that a try for a few days and see how she does; ifDoran, I"d be willing to let her go about her broody business, but she's plucked her belly bare! I"m worried she'd continue to pluck herself. What a good momma, though....trying to make a nice soft nest for her (nonexistant!) babies!

I sure hope this works!

[HeatherH]

We've got broodiness going on here, too. . . . . .

but truthfully, I have too much stress on my plate to break a broody hen! She's just gonna have to sit on her fat fanny for a while. . . . . .

Let us know how it goes!

[astrid]

LOL! Yeah.....why am I worrying about my chicken's emotional and psychological well-being? But you know...... I am. (does that mean I"M broody?!)

Good luck with your broody girl!

Astrid

[Doran]

LOL! Yeah.....why am I worrying about my chicken's emotional and psychological well-being? But you know...... I am. (does that mean I"M broody?!)

Good luck with your broody girl!

Astrid


Chickens, to those who've not owned them, seem like the least able creature to evoke such concern. But, they have a special ability, with their shiny round eyes and their little cooey, clucky noises, to brainwash us completely into doing everything humanly possible to keep them happy. It's what I call my chickaddiction!

For the record, though, no chicken of mine has ever managed to pluck herself bare while remaining broody because I was too busy to convince her otherwise. :D