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Broody hens #7652863
08/18/22 09:11 PM
08/18/22 09:11 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,366
east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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east central WI
Two of my hens have gone broody, they'll sit in the nest boxes all day and refuse to move. They get pretty pecky when I try to move them.

Any ideas how to stop this? A coworker said to hang them in a gunny sack for a day.

Thanks in advance.

Kyle

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652866
08/18/22 09:16 PM
08/18/22 09:16 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Online content
"American Honey"
Sharon  Online Content
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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 .

grin

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652871
08/18/22 09:19 PM
08/18/22 09:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
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Lugnut Offline
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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?

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652874
08/18/22 09:23 PM
08/18/22 09:23 PM
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Posts: 6,366
east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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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.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652885
08/18/22 09:30 PM
08/18/22 09:30 PM
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Arkansas
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Wallace Offline
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A wire bottom cage that's elevated so that they can't keep the ground warm under themselves breaks it in 2 or 3 days.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652886
08/18/22 09:30 PM
08/18/22 09:30 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
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Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Online content
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Mine knew each other well, and also, the partition I had in my coop, had all small wire so they could see each other all the time.

Depending on the girl's nature, it may take some escorting and watching them when you let her back to the flock. Make sure the re introduction has them room to move around and "talk " to get re acquainted.

Personally, I like that. Hours spent enjoying my chooks was happiness for me.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652890
08/18/22 09:33 PM
08/18/22 09:33 PM
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Missouri
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HayDay Offline
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Buff Orpingtons by chance?

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652897
08/18/22 09:36 PM
08/18/22 09:36 PM
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east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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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.

Re: Broody hens [Re: HayDay] #7652899
08/18/22 09:36 PM
08/18/22 09:36 PM
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east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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Originally Posted by HayDay
Buff Orpingtons by chance?


Barred rocks. I didn't get orpingtons because I have read/heard they often get broody.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652906
08/18/22 09:41 PM
08/18/22 09:41 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Online content
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Sharon  Online Content
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Originally Posted by k snow
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.



laugh grin

Ruffled my feathers for sure ! Don't let Patrice see this , either !

wink

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652911
08/18/22 09:45 PM
08/18/22 09:45 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,428
Georgia
warrior Online content
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Georgia
Originally Posted by k snow
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.


[Linked Image]
Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652935
08/18/22 10:09 PM
08/18/22 10:09 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,116
Killingly, CT
Brian Mongeau Offline
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Put half doz fertile eggs under each hen. Wait 22 days and they will be mama's.

Re: Broody hens [Re: Brian Mongeau] #7652937
08/18/22 10:18 PM
08/18/22 10:18 PM
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east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Brian Mongeau
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.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652939
08/18/22 10:20 PM
08/18/22 10:20 PM
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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.

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Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7652940
08/18/22 10:23 PM
08/18/22 10:23 PM
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Posts: 6,366
east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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I remember reading something about dipping their bellies in cold water to break them. Not sure how many times that would take.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7653089
08/19/22 07:21 AM
08/19/22 07:21 AM
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Lugnut Offline
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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.

Originally Posted by k snow
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?

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7653096
08/19/22 07:29 AM
08/19/22 07:29 AM
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Posts: 6,366
east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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I figured the hutches had wire bottoms. I've got some older dog kennels that I could add a finer wire floor to that should work.

Thanks for the ideas.

Maybe I'll gunny sack one for a picture, just for Sharon.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7653122
08/19/22 08:12 AM
08/19/22 08:12 AM
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So. IL
pintail_drake04 Offline
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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.

Re: Broody hens [Re: pintail_drake04] #7653126
08/19/22 08:16 AM
08/19/22 08:16 AM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,366
east central WI
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k snow Offline OP
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Originally Posted by pintail_drake04
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.

Re: Broody hens [Re: k snow] #7653144
08/19/22 08:43 AM
08/19/22 08:43 AM
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Missouri
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HayDay Offline
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Originally Posted by k snow
Originally Posted by HayDay
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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