Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7652866
08/18/22 09:16 PM
08/18/22 09:16 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,534 Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon
"American Honey"
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"American Honey"
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,534
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
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Don't even put those girls in a dang sack all day. That's so natural, what they're doing. They can't help it. But you can help them to break the cycle. Keeping them from accessing the nest will help. Nicely taking them off and having them walk outside and eat treats can help. My coop had a partition with a door that could be closed or left open to the whole flock. Anyone who was ill, or introducing new ones, or hens with chicks, or breaking broodiness was perfect . No nests to sit in helped them forget their broodiness in that partition. Do me a favor. Stuff your co worker in a 50 lb feed sack all day. That would have me smile .
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7652871
08/18/22 09:19 PM
08/18/22 09:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,119 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,119
SEPA
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We have an old rabbit hutch that we use for raising chicks until they’re large enough to go into general population. We also use it to isolate broody hens. A week or so usually gets them out of their broodiness.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: HayDay]
#7652899
08/18/22 09:36 PM
08/18/22 09:36 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,431 east central WI
k snow
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east central WI
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Buff Orpingtons by chance? Barred rocks. I didn't get orpingtons because I have read/heard they often get broody.
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7652906
08/18/22 09:41 PM
08/18/22 09:41 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,534 Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon
"American Honey"
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"American Honey"
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,534
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
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They've got plenty of room, the coop is 8x8 and the attached run is 12x20, and there is only 16 birds.
I like the wire cage idea, I think I have something that will work for that. I could put them in my meat bird tractor, its empty right now, but I'd rather leave them in with the general population to make re introduction easier.
Sharon, i figured the gunny sack idea would raise your hackles. Ruffled my feathers for sure ! Don't let Patrice see this , either !
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7652911
08/18/22 09:45 PM
08/18/22 09:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,711 Georgia
warrior
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trapper
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Posts: 25,711
Georgia
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Any issues or ways to reduce the violence when putting the hens back in after isolation? I had a sick one earlier this year I isolated and nursed back, and the flock killed her the first day she was back in. Slipping them in on the roost at night can help as can pulling the boss hen out for a day or two.
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: Brian Mongeau]
#7652937
08/18/22 10:18 PM
08/18/22 10:18 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,431 east central WI
k snow
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east central WI
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Put half doz fertile eggs under each hen. Wait 22 days and they will be mama's. My rooster went in the stew pot this spring. He turned into a mean son of a gun.
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7652939
08/18/22 10:20 PM
08/18/22 10:20 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,690 Oakland, MS
yotetrapper30
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Posts: 16,690
Oakland, MS
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If you do the cage route, make sure it's up in the air, off the ground. As Wallace said, the air hitting their underside is what breaks them quickest. Which is probably the same concept as the gunny sack, LOL
Last edited by yotetrapper30; 08/18/22 10:21 PM.
~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7653089
08/19/22 07:21 AM
08/19/22 07:21 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,119 SEPA
Lugnut
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Posts: 20,119
SEPA
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I didn't mention that our old rabbit hutch that we use to raise chicks and isolate broody hens has a wire bottom. As mentioned above, lowering their temperature seems to work well. Any issues or ways to reduce the violence when putting the hens back in after isolation? I had a sick one earlier this year I isolated and nursed back, and the flock killed her the first day she was back in. I haven't had any issues returning healthy/formerly broody hens to the flock. Mine will kill sick/weak birds though.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: pintail_drake04]
#7653126
08/19/22 08:16 AM
08/19/22 08:16 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,431 east central WI
k snow
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east central WI
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The idea is to lower their body temp. Hanging them in a cage will work, as the air circulation will lower their body temp. As does dunking them in a bucket of cold water, my preferred method. A more passive way of breaking them is to constantly remove them from the nest or limit access to the nest. I'm interested in the dunking method. How cold is the water, how deep do you dunk them and how long? Are we talking ice bath here? Or just float them like a duck in a tub of well water. Thanks.
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Re: Broody hens
[Re: k snow]
#7653144
08/19/22 08:43 AM
08/19/22 08:43 AM
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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,251 Missouri
HayDay
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Missouri
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Buff Orpingtons by chance? Barred rocks. I didn't get orpingtons because I have read/heard they often get broody. You heard that right. Small brown eggs and go broody at the drop of a hat. No more of those for me. I built a 2nd, smaller 6 x 8 house that is used as a brooder, and garden shed the rest of the time. No nest. Just floor and roost bars. I put them in there by themselves with food and water, and about 5 days later, they snap out of it. To rejoin the flock, I just kick them out in the yard. They co-mingle for the day and go to roost when the rest of them at the end of the day.
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