# At what age to hens go broody?



## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

We have a 7 month old easter Egger that has only been laying for 2 months and she just went broody. Is this normal? At least we think that is what it is. She gets all puffed up and makes a funny noise when we get eggs out from under her. I took her out of the nest several times today and she also spent a couple of hours in a separate cage to distract her. She doesn't seem sick. Could she be broody already?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep. And unless she hatches some chicks, completes the hormone cycle, she will go right back to being broody again.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

We don't have a rooster and don't have room for more chickens so we can't let her hatch any eggs. I've heard of people breaking the cycle. Is this possible? She has continued to lay so as long as she is eating and drinking, is it okay to let her sit in the nest all the time? It doesn't seem like much of a life.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

That's what they are made to do and there will be some wasting.She should get up to eat and drink on occasion.If she was healthy when she started,she should be fine.Good luck breaking her.Or do what Robin does and buy some chicks for her.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

I would love to buy some chicks for her but we live in the city and are already at our limit for pets! Plus, we have five hens already and our coop and pen are at capacity. I'll keep kicking her out to eat and drink and see how it goes.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Since I no longer raise chickens to break Chicklett I get several chicks, let her raise them until she'd done then I post on Craigslist and give them away.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

Here is my strategy so far. I go out to the coop and make her leave the nest several times per day. I make sure she goes into the run to eat and drink each time. A couple of hours before roost time I quarantine her in a large dog crate with food and water. When the other hens are roosting in the evening I take Harriet and put her on the roost with the others. I check later to make sure she didn't find her way to the nesting box. I'm hoping she will see that it is pointless and that the 10 hours or so from her afternoon quarantine until morning that she is not on the nest will break her from her broodiness. We shall see.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Good luck!!!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Junebugs, I have silkies who are broody half their life. Since it's so hot here, their "nest" is in the pen in a Rubbermaid storage tub turned on it's side. So I don't have to worry about her overheating. Then I just let them do it. They can sit there all summer. Once a day I put them out for food and water. My main concern is overheating . I've only had one go broody in a coop and put a direct fan on them.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

We live in San Francisco where we only get about a week of truly hot weather each year. Today she jumped out of the nest and came running when I brought breakfast. I'll just keep an eye on her and make sure she is eating.


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## sswanee17 (May 17, 2015)

junebugs said:


> We have a 7 month old easter Egger that has only been laying for 2 months and she just went broody. Is this normal? At least we think that is what it is. She gets all puffed up and makes a funny noise when we get eggs out from under her. I took her out of the nest several times today and she also spent a couple of hours in a separate cage to distract her. She doesn't seem sick. Could she be broody already?


I have 2 Welsummers that have already been broody. 1 about a month ago or more and they are both eight months old and now another one is broody. Very annoying.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It can be a challenge when you don't have a rooster or don't want to grow the flock. I just deal with Chicklett when she's broody again. I'm going to get her a couple of eggs from the neighbor when she goes broody again. As long as they'll take the chicks that hatch.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

When I put her in "jail" in the afternoons she seems to calm down and not get all puffed up when I come near.


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

I think Harriet is getting over it. I did have to take her out of the nest last night and put her on the roost to sleep, but today I don't catch her at all in the nest and she isn't running around all puffed up. I've got my fingers crossed!


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## junebugs (May 16, 2017)

I forgot to report that Harriet snapped out of it in just a few days.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's one less thing to worry about. Until the next time anyway.


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