what do i do? Broody hen who won't get off nest

[Topaz]

only had chooks about 10 weeks and 1 of my black rhodes is on the nest and won't get off. cockeral has been doing the business so now doubt the eggs are fertile. I have no experience of this and not sure if i should be doing anything. Or do i just leave her be and let her get on with it??
Any help would be appreciated

[Hilary B]

If you want her to hatch something, put her in a box by herself with hatchable eggs and read other threads about care of broodies. If you DON'T want her hatching anything (can you face killing the young cockerels later on for dinner?) put her in a draughty 'cage' (one of those things the vet will lend for transporting cats is handy). Either way, let her out daily for food and water.
The draughty version is a deterrent to brooding, but it may need several days for the message to get throgh.

[frias]

I have a broody. Sin bin didn't work unfortunately. It's been about 2 weeks now. Have to force her out and lock the coop when other girls have finished laying. She's hardly eating and spends the afternoon nesting in the run or the garden when she can't get to the nest box. Wish there was a pill I could give her 'cos she's getting very thin and the boss is being horrible to her.

[slimjim]

what do I do, broddy hen won't get off the nest

I was told many years ago that placing. or dipping, the broddy hen in very cold water will remedy the situation. The idea of her hatching fertile egss is a good one but what happens the next time one the sisterhood becomes broody. Might be worth trying the cold water treatment although be careful you don't overdoo it or you will be one Chook short

[Eyren]

I have pekin bantams, and they get broody a lot!

I usually give my girls a week to ten days to enjoy being broody, since it gives them a rest from laying, then it's in the sin bin with them! I use a medium dog cage (about 3' wide by 2' deep by 2' high - bought secondhand on ebay), raised up on bricks and placed near the main run so the broody doesn't get lonely and stressed. It has a waterproof cover* over the top and part of the sides to keep out the rain and direct sun, with a bit of log to perch on and food and water containers hooked onto the insides of the bars. A broody left in there all day (even overnight if she's being really persistent and the weather is mild) will soon snap out of it!

* Actually the summer cover that came with my eglu - I use the winter one all the time since it's either pouring down or scorching hot these days!

[CountryFayre]

I would go with Eyren on this one. Worst case of 24 hours but otherwise it has never failed me. What you mustn't do is put any bedding in. The cold water thing may well work but you would need to be extremely careful that the temp drop didn't send her into shock. If you do need to leave her in the cage overnight, please ensure that she can't be got at by Mr fox. If you can lift the cage onto the car roof the draught can be a little more 'persistant' up there.

[frias]

I managed to get the sin bin on the car roof OK but when I got up to 70mph on the M27 my broody was not impressed!

[lynda66]

i'm just wondering, surely the point of cockerels is to get fertile eggs, so you can hatch them ..... she's actually doing what comes naturally after mating...... if there is no cock, then yes being broody is a problem, but is it the same when shes broody cos she has fertile eggs??

[Topaz]

Have decided to let nature take its course, she comes off the nest to eat and drink then straight back on. Should i be doing anything to help her??

[Hilary B]

i'm just wondering, surely the point of cockerels is to get fertile eggs, so you can hatch them ..... she's actually doing what comes naturally after mating...... if there is no cock, then yes being broody is a problem, but is it the same when shes broody cos she has fertile eggs??

Going broody isn't any more likely to happen if she has mated. She doesn't know whether the eggs are fertile, she's just got her hormones set on 'hatch'. If you don't want her hatching anything, it is best to reprogram her hormones, and the sin-bin/cage is the gentlest of efficient ways to do so.

[Hilary B]

Have decided to let nature take its course, she comes off the nest to eat and drink then straight back on. Should i be doing anything to help her??

You may want to help the OTHER hens by giving them somewhere to lay that she isn't sitting. A broody can persist for 5 weeks or more if she hasn't got any hatchable eggs (comes in handy if you get goose eggs to hatch).