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When you keep chickens, you will encounter a broody hen from time to time. A broody hen is one that has decided that she wants to sit on and hatch eggs. While this can be useful if you want to expand your flock, it can also be problematic if you rely on her for egg production, or if she becomes weak and is not eating or drinking. Your best bet is resolving the issue as soon as possible before your hen becomes ill or even dies. Here are some ways to handle a broody hen.
Understanding Broodiness
Broodiness is a natural instinct for hens, driven by hormones and environmental cues. Signs of broodiness include:
- She stays in the nest box all day and night.
- She puffs up and may become aggressive when you try to move her.
- She stops laying eggs.
- She plucks her feathers from her breast to line the nesting box and to create a warm, bare patch of skin to keep eggs warm.
- Her comb and/or wattles start to look pale.
Steps to Break a Broody Hen
- Remove her from the nesting box: Frequently remove the broody hen from the nest. This can be a simple way to disrupt her broody cycle. However, she may return, and you will need to repeat this process multiple times a day. Putting treats such as fresh fruit and veggies in the run or away from the nesting boxes may help.
- Use a Broody Breaker: A broody breaker is just a cage with a wire floor that allows air to circulate underneath the hen, cooling her off and making it uncomfortable for her to stay broody. The cage should be about 2′ wide by 2.5′ long. Place the broody hen in this cage with food and water for a few days until her broody symptoms stop.
- Cool her down: Broody hens are warmer than usual. You can help break the cycle by cooling her down. Gently placing her in a tub of cool (not cold) water can sometimes do the trick. Be sure to dry her off afterward.
- Limit nesting material: Remove nesting materials from the area where the broody hen likes to sit. This can discourage her from staying in that spot.
- Increase activity: Encourage the broody hen to be active. Allow her to free-range more often and be sure she gets plenty of exercise. This can help distract her from her broody instincts.
- Block access to the nesting boxes for part of the day: Usually your hens lay in the morning. Take the broody hen out of the nesting box and then If possible close off access to the nesting boxes for part of the day that your chickens are least likely to lay eggs.
Preventing Broodiness
While you can’t entirely prevent broodiness, you can take steps to reduce its likelihood:
- Collect eggs regularly: Frequently collecting eggs can discourage hens from becoming broody
- Avoid overheating: Ensure your coop is well-ventilated to prevent it from becoming too warm, which can trigger broodiness.
- Choose non-broody hen breeds: Some Chicken breeds are more prone to broodiness than others. If you want to avoid broody hens altogether, consider breeds less likely to exhibit broody behavior, such as Leghorns or Anconas.
When Broodiness is Beneficial
If you’re looking to hatch eggs, a broody hen can be an asset. Make sure she has a safe, comfortable environment, and provide her with fertile eggs to sit on. Be prepared to move her to a separate area to avoid disturbances from other chickens.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with a broody hen requires patience and understanding of her natural behaviors. By using the methods outline above, you can manage and break broodiness when it’s not desired, while also appreciating the hen’s natural instincts when you want to hatch new chickens. The technique that has always worked best for me is taking the hen out of the nesting box even if it is a few times a day, enticing her with treats and free-ranging and also collecting the eggs several times a day.
Some items that may help
Freeze dried larvae treats, a chicken fave
Chicken Toys for a distraction
Misting System for cool downs on hot days, this could save an overheated chicken’s life
