Broody Pekin, more advice please?

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Thresherhens

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Hi all, I've been looking and reading anything to do with broodiness on the forum, but wondered if there was any further advice? Have a trio and for the last three days the top hen has gone very broody. I read that she needs to be removed from the nest box so has been out all day today with the others but I saw her regularly pace back and forth trying to get in the coop. unfortunately i cannot leave the chooks to free range due to Mr Fox so while I'm at work she'll be in the coop and will just sit in the next box, not eat or drink. I've also read to keep her out of the house at night so tried to do this tonight. i got the other 2 in and closed up the ramp and then let her in and put a pet carrier in for shelter but she was getting really distressed trying to get in the house and her little mate seemed also distressed and chirping away on the other side. i couldn't leave her like that so succumbed and let her in the house, of which i know she pushed the other larger hen out of the nest box. i was thinking of borrowing my parents dog grate so i can leave her in this for a while but I'm worried as i know how bad stress is to birds? has anyone got any advice?? as she will be dominating the nest box and the others wont be able to get in to lay will they be ok or just lay somewhere else. Sorry for the 20 questions I've had my chooks for only 3 months so still learning. Any advice is welcome :| . Thanks, Luce
 
I am also new to chickens, but I have 2 hens that have been broody for going on 3 months or longer...and still sitting! I hope they get over it in a week or so! Good luck!
 
Hi, I have the same problem at the moment although I do have 2 nestboxes but some still prefer the one where the broody is! I have left mine and some do go and lay in that box, somehow squeezing in with her and laying an egg somewhere which then ends up under the broody! I haven't found this a problem for any of the hens. I agree it's not good to stress the birds too much.. Another thing to try is putting some fake eggs or golf balls which can stay under her, that way she should stop being broody after the a few weeks or so (I think, I haven't tried breaking the broody habit out of mine yet) unless you wanted chicks!? But I'm guessing not. I don't know how hard it is to stop pekins from being broody as I know they are a very broody breed. I just let my pekin hatch chicks so I haven't tried. Maybe someone else with more experience with broody hens and stopping can be helpful as this is my first time having them too. Still hope this helps a bit
 
If your hens have been broody for weeks with out being able to hatch anything , they will sit & sit & end up ill. Check out the breaking broodies threads on here.

A bit of moaning about being away from her friends is better than her becoming poorly, borrow the dog crate & put it upside down on bricks - in a shed or other safe place at night - so the cool air blows underneath. All good advice given in the broodies threads. :-)17
 
I am not an expert but we recently had a broody silkie and we basically left her to get on with it. I did take her out of the nest box and put her outside in the morning and in the evening when I got home from work. This gave her chance to get something to eat and drink before she went back in again. Generally she would sit and sulk for a few seconds then get food and drink (usually while making a grumbling sort of clucking noise) before going back to the nest box. I also removed any eggs from under her as soon as I could, so she wasn't sitting on anything.

She has just stoped being broody now and she seems to be fine.
 
Agree with ncotb.3 of my 6 Wyandotte bantams have been broody recently. One for 40days!
In the past I have just let them ride it out usually 2-3 weeks.
I have not had the confidence in the past to use the cage but they were becoming a pain. I put the one who had been broody the longest in first. As soon as she made a bee line for the nest box I put her in the cage. It took 2 days and nights but she is now fine. The second one was ok after 2 days and 1 night. I think the overnight stint works and helps them to cool down. The third one has given up of her own accord. So they are all happy again and getting on fine. ;)
 
My Pekins and Wyandottes have been broody now for about 3 weeks. We want to hatch chicks so that is OK. Last year some of them went on being broody for a couple of months. I put them out of the house once a day to eat and drink and in the end resorted to locking them out of the house during the day. Didn't have the heart to lock them out at night though. Eventually they gave up of their own accord but it took quite a few days.
 
Hens don't "get over" being broody - either you give them eggs and they sit and raise their brood or you "sin bin" them put them into a place that they aren't comfortable in ( a dog cage or something similar - where they can't continue to heat themselves up) - but leaving a broody hen broody in a situation that she is happy to be broody in could in the long run be very serious for her health.. they don't eat or drink normally and so lose a lot of weight - if you really care about your birds - either give them the eggs they want to raise - it's their natural instinct - or sinbin them - - you don't have to be unkind to do this - just make them unconfortable for a couple of days and then that will be that - she will start to eat and drink normally and will start to lay eggs again - until the next time - but don't let them stay in a state of limbo - it's not kind
 
Hello, well I've sin binned her in the dog crate since Tuesday night. She hated it but i noted that I've had to be cruel to be kind! She is in view of the others to prevent any problems and when I've let her out she doesn't seem to be pacing around the coop but fear if i let her back in she'll revert straight back to being broody. Since she's been in the crate she hasn't laid and the other two have started again since they've got their nest box back. How long is long enough?? Many thanks again for all your advice.
 
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