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Broody hen

Catherine89

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Hello everyone it has been a while since I have posted so I want to give a little background. I have a cockateil and a conure and 32 chickens. Now I have 2 beautiful black sex-linked that love to be broody. Usually because we live in FL and it gets so hot in their nesting boxes I try and break them of this. What I do is put them in a rabbit cage. A large one don't worry. Some where in the shade inside their large coop. ( We have foxes and coyotes). But I was wondering if you guys have any ideas to help stop them. My way works but it can take 2-3 days and I just hate to contain them that long. Leaving them be is not a option as they will and have gotten dehydrated sitting in the box. Even with a fan and widows in it. They are very determined mothers a have even hatched some baby's for me but we don't need any more chickens right now. Any advice would be nice
 

fashionfobie

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I also live in a hot climate and I understand what you mean. My hen Comet, a silkie, also gets broody often. We also worry about her, she is fragile and has some health complications, so forgoing water is not a good option!

We don't have success in breaking her desire easily either. What we do is not her favourite, there isn't a way to make it pleasant for them, when they don't want to leave. We remove her from the nest each morning and place her next to the water. She usually is upset at first, then poops, then realises she is thirsty and drinks. She usually also has a bit to eat, but returns to her nest. We repeat every morning and eventually she stays out and forages and doesn't bother going back up.

Not ideal, but at least she drinks something.
 

Catherine89

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Yes we give her water and food as well I forgot to say that. We put her in the cage because it gets her backside from getting to hot and cools it down and that usually helps break her. I just hate confining her to a cage
 

Shannan

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I pretty much do the same as fashionfobie. Mine can be very persistent. Especially one white hen who will take your hands off if you try. I just let her sit but then again she does what she pleases, when she pleases, how she pleases!!!! The others get tossed out of the nest box until they get the hint.
 

Catherine89

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I will have to try that. It just gets so hot in that box and she is so stubborn I have to force her off as well so she will drink. She is sweet for us but she is a mean little thing to all her coop mates. She's a big girl too about 11 lbs. They are a large breed of chickens I think the roosters can get up to 12-13 lbs.
 

AussieBird

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Generally I let them sit, even if they’re not hatching.
I’ve defiantly done the regular removal from the nest, but that doesn’t always work with the stubborn ones. Sometimes a big change (new pen/run, maybe even a trip inside for a few hours) will work.
 
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