# Broody hen



## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

So I have a hen that has been broody almost 3 weeks. Any ideas how long this will last? Is it too late to get some fertile eggs for her to sit on?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

My australorp lasted about 2 weeks with her broodiness. My ameraucana lasted a couple months before she cut it out ... for about a month. I think she's starting to go broody on me again a bit. Doesn't want to get out of the nestbox too much. At least I'm not having to drag her out though like I did last time. NO babies Josie! Or so I keep telling her. No boyfriends here so she's outta luck.  Anyway, out of my 9, only 2 have ever gone broody on me and their length of time was really different. Not sure if it is too late for fertile eggs or not being its been 3 weeks now.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

We don't have any Roos either, I could probably find some fertile eggs for her. It would be my luck she would snap out of it before they hatched.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

That's what I was thinking. Didn't want to tell you wrong but share how my 2 girls were so different with their broodiness. Chickens are so unpredictable sometimes. Don't they know they're suppose to give us some sort of schedule so we know what's going on??? Gee's girls!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Well I really appreciate it. That's what I am really looking for, people with experience in the matter and what they would do if it were theirs. I know that there aren't a lot of black and white answers when it comes to keeping chickens, kinda like kids


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Ain't that the truth!!!!!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

They can be sneaky smart too like kids! I sure wish the snow would stop already today so I could let my girls out to enjoy scratching around. Its just yucky enough out that they won't go out to play.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

We are supposed to get more snow this week too, but, I live in Alaska, we will probably have snow through mist of April. A few years we will get some in early may, just to make me angry. It doesn't last long though.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

We do too. Spring is short and summer isn't much longer before we're right back to fall again. Gets depressing sometimes. I don't know how you deal with all the darkness you have in Alaska! That would drive me really nuts.


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## michelle621 (Aug 14, 2012)

If it's already been 3 weeks you don't want her sitting eggs for another 21 days. She will lose weight. I would try to break her broodiness this round and let her sit eggs next time. The only thing that I have found that breaks broodiness is to dunk them in ice water. Tough this time of year because you will have to warm her up again quickly, but it works. The water has to be cold enough to be uncomfortable for you to keep your hands in or you just have a wet, broody hen. Goos luck!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

michelle621 said:


> If it's already been 3 weeks you don't want her sitting eggs for another 21 days. She will lose weight. I would try to break her broodiness this round and let her sit eggs next time. The only thing that I have found that breaks broodiness is to dunk them in ice water. Tough this time of year because you will have to warm her up again quickly, but it works. The water has to be cold enough to be uncomfortable for you to keep your hands in or you just have a wet, broody hen. Goos luck!


Yeah, I decided to not give her any eggs this time. I don't think I can dunk her in ice water though, maybe if it were warmer. I noticed she was out of her box on her own earlier today, maybe she will snap out of it. I remove her when I bring them extra treats like today I cleaned out the fridge. The poor little girl isn't even a year old. I didn't realize they would start so young. My first go around with chickens. Thanks for your info!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

My Josie went broody first time at 7 1/2 months. Now at 9 months, she's back at it.  She's an ameraucana. Persistent little girl! The other girls never went broody except for australorp Lilah at just over a year old this summer. At least Josie doesn't yell at me when I take her out of the nest box. Lilah used to just scream at me. I had to start locking her out of the coop and finally put her in the old coop tractor to get her to cut it out. Thankfully it was during the summer. Way too cold out for the tractor now. Besides, its buried behind a 7 foot tall snow bank. We are getting Spring this month yet right?


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

We won't see spring till possibly may, regardless of what the calendar says!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I hear ya. All these seed catalogs I get in the mail and we can't even start planting till mid June. Still have to be prepared for heavy frosts then. Back to heavy frost nights towards end of August. =(


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I have never shaken a broody myself, but I have read to put her in a dog style crate with NO comforts, no bedding and no eggs and keep her away from the coop until she acts more normal. But, she may pop back into broody soon after. That may give you time to source either some babies to put under her, or some fertile eggs. It depends on how determined she is.


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## AlexTS113 (Feb 17, 2013)

No advice here. None of mine have ever gone broody.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

She is STILL broody! Crazy.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kahiltna_flock said:


> She is STILL broody! Crazy.


 put an ice pack up under her
you have to cool those breast feathers down
she will then give up & go back to laying for ya

good luck
piglett


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## lancetrace (Jan 12, 2013)

Take her away and put her in some kind of crate preferably with wire on the bottom. Keep her in there for two or three days with food and water. No bedding but some kind of roost. Put her back afterwards and see if she goes to the nesting box. If she does put her back in the 'broody breaker'. It worked twice with my silkie and this third time I just let her sit on some eggs. I got tired of keeping her penned up.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

I am hoping she is coming out of it. I appreciate all your suggestions. I take her out a few times a day, making sure she eats and drinks. She came out first thing this morning on her own, but was back in there this afternoon. If it were warmer I would just give her some eggs.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kahiltna_flock said:


> I am hoping she is coming out of it. I appreciate all your suggestions. I take her out a few times a day, making sure she eats and drinks. She came out first thing this morning on her own, but was back in there this afternoon. If it were warmer I would just give her some eggs.


 my silkie hatched out a cluch of eggs in -10f weather
give the poor girl eggs


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## michelle621 (Aug 14, 2012)

Ooh, I like the ice pack idea. I'm going to try that next time. Easier on both of us.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Or a bag of frozen peas works really well too!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

I am getting fertile eggs to incubate tomorrow. She is getting a few. Even if she snaps out if it, it won't be a big deal. Poor thing, it's been like 2 months.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

I had an insane hen named Tina that was a blue silkie, and she stayed broody ALL winter. And she stole eggs from another laying hen and rolled them into her nest. She was sitting on about 15 eggs before I figured out what she was doing. She hatched chicks for a week, and they slept all under and over and around her, and the rooster, Ike, raised the chicks. And noboby messed with his chicks!!! After she ran out of eggs, she sat on a half corn cob the rest of the winter. She was just goofy. I decided that if she stayed broody, then 1. She would eat less 2. The chicks would have a warm spot to sleep 3. The other chickens were warm because they all huddled together to sleep at night. None of that particular pen would roost, they slept on the floor. On her!!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Fuzziebutt, that is funny. She has eggs now. I put her in a extra large dog kennel in the garage. Fingers crossed she gets babies so she will snap out of it. If they don't hatch, I am sure some in the incubator will and she can have those.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kahiltna_flock said:


> Fuzziebutt, that is funny. She has eggs now. I put her in a extra large dog kennel in the garage. Fingers crossed she gets babies so she will snap out of it. If they don't hatch, I am sure some in the incubator will and she can have those.


give her a little food & water each day & she can have a go at it

good luck
piglett


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Yes, she has some in there, I have been keeping an eye on her since she has been sitting so long.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Happily sitting


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

Now, you don't have to get her out to feed her and let her poop. She'll do it herself, about once a day or so. She does it when no one is watching, that's how she protects her eggs. Just try to get to those eggs when she isn't on them. I had one that would get off the eggs, but would run as fast as she could, and absolutely screech like a banshee, at the top of her freaky little lungs until she got back on her nest. She kinda kept everyone off guard. If everyone thinks that you are crazy, they leave you alone!!!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

fuzziebutt said:


> Now, you don't have to get her out to feed her and let her poop. She'll do it herself, about once a day or so. She does it when no one is watching, that's how she protects her eggs. Just try to get to those eggs when she isn't on them. I had one that would get off the eggs, but would run as fast as she could, and absolutely screech like a banshee, at the top of her freaky little lungs until she got back on her nest. She kinda kept everyone off guard. If everyone thinks that you are crazy, they leave you alone!!!


So I have her the eggs Friday afternoon. She did not leave them to eat, drink or poo all day Saturday. I took her out this morning, out to the coop. I have her in a large dog kennel in my garage. So she ate, drank, and, I hate to say, pooped on me when I picked her up to put her out!filled my pocket with nastiness....so gross. Anyway, should I just keep taking her out everyday if she won't do it on her own? If not, how long should I let her go on her own? Remember, she has been broody over 2 months now and she is thin to begin with.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kahiltna_flock said:


> So I have her the eggs Friday afternoon. She did not leave them to eat, drink or poo all day Saturday. I took her out this morning, out to the coop. I have her in a large dog kennel in my garage. So she ate, drank, and, I hate to say, pooped on me when I picked her up to put her out!filled my pocket with nastiness....so gross. Anyway, should I just keep taking her out everyday if she won't do it on her own? If not, how long should I let her go on her own? Remember, she has been broody over 2 months now and she is thin to begin with.


i would leave her alone
she knows when she needs to eat ,drink,poop
she will not allow her self to die
when she is ready she will sneak out to do what needs doing
mine did it early in the day but yours might do it at a different time

happy hatching
piglett


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

piglett said:


> i would leave her alone
> she knows when she needs to eat ,drink,poop
> she will not allow her self to die
> when she is ready she will sneak out to do what needs doing
> ...


Well isn't doing it at all, unless I remove her. Since she is in the kennel you can see easily, she is the only one in there. No poo, no food gone....


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## lancetrace (Jan 12, 2013)

I would take her out and let her poo and walk around a bit then put her back. What day is she on? My silkies wouldn't move at all the last week after I moved them to their own place. I had to clean up some poo in the nesting box which was gross but its okay to move them. I'd rather physically move them and let them do their business then to have poo in the nesting box which can cause bacteria to get in the eggs. Anyways that has been my experience the last week and now I have three chicks with a 100% hatch. So worth it all. They are adorable!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

lancetrace said:


> I would take her out and let her poo and walk around a bit then put her back. What day is she on? My silkies wouldn't move at all the last week after I moved them to their own place. I had to clean up some poo in the nesting box which was gross but its okay to move them. I'd rather physically move them and let them do their business then to have poo in the nesting box which can cause bacteria to get in the eggs. Anyways that has been my experience the last week and now I have three chicks with a 100% hatch. So worth it all. They are adorable!


She is only on day 3 with eggs. I am just taking her out every morning. It isn't a big deal since I am not working and am home anyway. I guess I am more concerned because she is underweight from being broody 2 months already. I will just do it daily to make sure she eats. Thanks so much for all your input.


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## Ailig (Jul 13, 2012)

i found that putting a packet of frozen peas or brussel sprouts under my hens when they go broody stops them from sitting


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## dcfrenkel (Nov 1, 2012)

I have given a hen eggs after a full month of broodiness. She hatched them out just fine. She was such a happy mom.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Good to know dc. Thank for that input.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

She seems pretty happy, I am still taking her out every morning, it's like a little bonding time for us. Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge out there!


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Ailig said:


> i found that putting a packet of frozen peas or brussel sprouts under my hens when they go broody stops them from sitting


If it were -7 out still, and I had no way of getting fertile eggs for her I would try it. Just still way too cold to do that here. Thanks, I will keep it in mind if it happens again during a warmer time of year.


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## mysticgmekeepr (Mar 26, 2013)

How on earth do you keep chickens in Eagle River. I had a daughter whose family lived in Anchorage and Wasilla for 20 years. It's freezing there. My chickens did great here in Ohio this year without added heat , and its been a long, cold winter but not 30 below. I know what you can get;-)


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

mysticgmekeepr said:


> How on earth do you keep chickens in Eagle River. I had a daughter whose family lived in Anchorage and Wasilla for 20 years. It's freezing there. My chickens did great here in Ohio this year without added heat , and its been a long, cold winter but not 30 below. I know what you can get;-)


Yes, it is freezing here, still. I have a sturdy double walled and insulated. I used one red heat lamp part if the winter, but it only kept it about 0 when it was -20- -30 out. It has been challenging for my first winter with chickens.


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## mysticgmekeepr (Mar 26, 2013)

kahiltna_flock said:


> Yes, it is freezing here, still. I have a sturdy double walled and insulated. I used one red heat lamp part if the winter, but it only kept it about 0 when it was -20- -30 out. It has been challenging for my first winter with chickens.


Chickens it seems are pretty cold hardy animals. I had a little half blind, looney Tooney Polish accidentally fly the coop at dusk. I didn't discover it till I went to lock them up and she wasn't in either coop. Nowhere to be found and it was going to be 20 that night. I figured she would freeze without shelter and her friends to snuggle with....or worse, get eaten. Next morning she was walking down the driveway, frost all over her back but none the worse for her adventure. She was pretty glad to get back within her free range with boundaries area, and she's never flown over the fence again.


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