Year of the Broody

[Lee G]

I seem to be having a 'year of the broody' here in SK because my entire breeding flock of hens has gone clucky at one time or another, every single one of them...  even a cock bird tried to join in on the action in the nest box one day. 

(this is where I'd like to insert a picture to share because he looks hilarious all crammed in there, but my iPhone photos don't seem to want to work, or are too large to attach directly from my computer, and gahhh....I have no more patience this morning to try and figure it out, sorry... ))


After weeks of unsuccessfully trying to break the most stubborn determined of the bunch, I'm throwing in the towel and letting nature take its course. Chicks in August should be fun. Right? 

Has anyone else experienced an abnormally high level of broodiness this year?

[Schroeder]

I have a black LF that has been broody since March.  I keep stealing eggs from under her while enduring her pecking, and frequently toss her out of the nest box.  I haven't bothered trying to break her by any other means.  Darn freeloader!
Duane

[Jerry Segler]

My black LF have been very determined this year . It may be time to put in new blood . I think it is the bloodline . Never had this much trouble before .

[Lee G]

I was beginning to think it was something in our water. 

Ugh, I feel your pain Duane. Some hens are down right ridiculous! I have three blacks that insist on all cramming in one nest box together, even though there is barely enough room for one. Honestly, if they manage to hatch any eggs before breaking them, I'll be shocked. 

Same here Jerry. My only variety that hasn't joined in the fun are the silvers, and the E/e+ hens. All the rest are hardcore cluckin, so yeah, broodiness seems to be deeply ingrained in certain lines alright.

[The Malcolms]

Incubation is a poor endeavor here in Colorado so we depend on broody hens for hatching.  We have a herd of silkies and bantam Cochins to do the job along with a few bantam ameraucanas.  The more the merrier here.  This year we did have a couple of bantam ameraucanas in their "golden years" take up brooding for the first time in their lives.  They did great!  It must be the strange weather bringing out their desire to reproduce.

[Mike Gilbert]

Some hens are down right ridiculous! I have three blacks that insist on all cramming in one nest box together, even though there is barely enough room for one. Honestly, if they manage to hatch any eggs before breaking them, I'll be shocked. 

When excessive broodiness becomes a problem it is very helpful to have small cages to put the offenders in for a week or so to break the broodiness.
Show coops work fine for that purpose.   Wire bottoms would be best, otherwise just a very few shavings or other bedding material so they can't make themselves a nest in the cage.   It works for me.   I recently broke up a brown red hen with that method, and she was back to laying within a few days after her week of solitary confinement. 

[John W Blehm]

Wire bottoms would be best,

And include a roost in the wire pen.  When she goes to roosting she is cured.

[Lee G]

Thanks for the tips! Because I'm honestly at my wits end with these hens. I've already tried moving them into a chicken tractor for daily confinement away from the nest boxes. Seemed like they hardly noticed they'd been moved. Added a full grown rooster once...poor guy barely left alive.  I think the tractor may have worked... eventually... but I gave up before the hens did. (Carrying a dozen broodies back and forth every day gets old pretty fast.) Especially when they all just jam back in the nest boxes and proceed like nothing even happened.  Sigh...

I have a few wire crates I use for holding pens I can repurpose into broody breakers, then work on breaking a couple hens at a time. Enough is enough.

herd of silkies

Now that makes me smile. 

[Patti Jordan]

Ditto to what Mike Gilbert and John Blehm said, that's what I've done for years.  I actually have a 6x12 pen set-up specifically to just house broodies, just dirt bottom and a roost.  After 7-10 days they are cured   I have noticed that certain lines are more prone to brood than others.

[Lee G]

Having a broody only hen house sounds ideal. Great idea Patti.

I crated two hens last night, and well they're not exactly happy campers this morning, it's for the best. (and my sanity, lol) I'm also attempting to cool my remaining cluckers' jets a little faster with ice cubes to sit on instead of eggs or air. All those bald bellies must be good for something! 

[Mike Gilbert]

As temperatures permit, dunking the broodies in cool water is said to help as well.   I plan to try it next time I get a broody hen. 

[Patti Jordan]

As temperatures permit, dunking the broodies in cool water is said to help as well.   I plan to try it next time I get a broody hen.

There are several breeders/backyard enthusiasts here in the Phoenix area who have tried the dunk in cold water method, some with success and some not.  In many instances I've read they've had to continue the dunk for several days.  I've personally never tried as I normally have 2 or more broodies at one time and I find it easier to put them in a broody pen.  Good Luck trying it - you'll have to let the forum know your results.  May be a quick fix for show girls that have decided to go broody.

[Lee G]

I actually did try dunking a couple broodies in cold water for a few days. They hardly even blinked, just let out a cluck or two when the water first touched  their skin, then settled down into the bucket to wait it out. (pretty sure they were secretly laughing at me by this point...) Maybe it wasn't cold enough?