If you are a chicken owner you have probably thought once in your life, How do I stop Broody Hens? Learn all about this natural behavior, including how to handle it and tips for managing a broody chicken in your flock!
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What is a Broody Hen?
A broody hen is a chicken exhibiting a strong maternal instinct, characterized by her desire to sit on a nest of eggs and hatch them. Even if the eggs aren't fertilized, a broody hen will go through the motions of incubating them. Hormonal changes drive this behavior and is a natural part of a hen's reproductive cycle.
Why It Matters for Backyard Chicken Keepers
For backyard chicken keepers, a broody hen can be both a blessing and a challenge. A broody hen is ideal if you have a rooster and want to hatch chicks. However, if you don't have fertilized eggs, her broodiness can create issues:
- Health Concerns: your broody hen may neglect eating, drinking, and grooming, which is not ideal.
- Egg Production: Broody hens often stop laying eggs while they are broody, which can impact your flock's overall egg production.
- Behavior Issues: A broody hen can become aggressive, guarding her nest and potentially disrupting the flock.
How to Spot Broody Hens' Behaviour
Identifying a broody hen involves observing several key behaviors:
- Persistent Nesting: She spends most of her time in one nesting box, rarely leaving to eat, drink, or roost.
- Defensive Behavior: When approached, she puffs up her feathers, makes growling noises, or pecks.
- Egg Care: She clucks softly to the eggs and may roll them around with her beak.
- Egg Gathering: She may collect and sit on eggs from other hens.
- Reduced Egg Laying: Her egg production decreases or stops.
How to Avoid Broody Hens
While it's hard to completely prevent a hen from going broody, you can take steps to minimize it, such as:
- Clean Nesting Boxes: Regularly clean and disinfect nesting boxes to make them less inviting.
- Provide Space: Ensure your chickens have enough space to roam and reduce their inclination to seek cozy nesting spots.
- Remove Eggs Frequently: Collect eggs at least twice daily to discourage hens from settling in.
How to Stop Broody Hens
If you need to break a broody hen's behavior, you can try:
- Remove Her from the Nesting Box: Physically move her to a different coop area to disrupt her broody cycle.
- Collect Eggs Regularly: When she's off the nest, quickly gather eggs to prevent her from getting too attached.
- Cool Her Down: Use ice packs or frozen water bottles in the nesting box to lower the temperature and help break the broodiness.
- Lock Her Out of the Coop: Prevent her from accessing the nesting box by locking her out for a day.
- Give a "Timeout": Use a cage or separate area to keep her away from the nest.
- Provide Distractions: Introduce new elements like dust baths or treats to keep her occupied.
Important Things to Know About Broody Chickens
- Timing: Broodiness can occur at any time of the year but is more common in spring and summer. Some hens may go broody multiple times annually.
- Egg Theft: Broody hens may steal eggs from others to build a larger clutch.
- Self-Care: Broody hens might neglect eating and drinking, leading to health issues if not monitored.
- Mothering Skills: Not all broody hens make good mothers. Some may abandon their eggs or harm their chicks.
Watching Broody Hen's Behavior
If you allow a broody hen to hatch eggs, monitor her closely:
- Health Monitoring: Ensure she is eating and drinking. Pale combs and lethargy are signs she may need extra care.
- Behavior with the Flock: Expect protective and possibly aggressive behavior towards other hens.
How to Care for a Broody Hen
- Food and Water: Keep food and water close to the nesting box to minimize the time she spends away.
- Clean Nesting Box: Regularly clean the nesting box to avoid bacterial growth and ensure the eggs stay in good condition.
Setting Up a Broody Hen Maternity Ward
Create a comfortable and private area for the broody hen:
- Private Space: Use a separate nesting box, crate, or section of the coop.
- Comfort: Provide soft bedding like straw or shavings.
- Food and Water: Place food and water nearby.
- Protection: Ensure the area is secure from predators.
Caring For Broody Chicken Eggs
- Egg Maintenance: Broody hens usually manage their eggs well. Remove spoiled or cracked eggs to prevent contamination.
- Candling: Check egg development by shining a light through the egg to monitor for abnormalities or signs of life, usually around days 7-10 of incubation.
Understanding and managing a broody hen can help you maintain a healthy and productive flock while making the most of her instincts.
Chicken Brooding FAQs
Yes and no. If you want to expand your flock, having a broody hen is a good thing. She will do all the work for you and hatch out some adorable chicks (provided she doesn't quit or harm them!)
But a broody hen can also be a problem if there are no chicks to hatch. She may refuse to leave the nesting area and become aggressive towards other hens. She will also stop laying eggs and could become malnourished if she refuses to eat or drink.Â
Yes, there’s a possibility that a hen can die from broodiness if she refuses to eat or drink. She could become malnourished and dehydrated. This is especially dangerous during hot weather. Keep a close eye on your broody hen and provide her with food and water close to the nesting area.
A chicken brooding session can last 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the hen and her breed. Some hens may even remain broody for longer than this! Breaking a broody hen is sometimes the only solution to get her back to normal, but it's not always easy - some hens are stubborn!
Sometimes, one broody hen can cause a chain reaction and encourage other hens to go broody. This might be problematic if you don't want multiple hens sitting on eggs at once.
Some chickens will never go broody! Not all breeds have a strong instinct for it, so if you're hoping to hatch some chicks naturally, it pays to do some research before buying any chickens.
Expert Broody Hen Tips
- Prevent Broodiness in the Future: Make nesting boxes less inviting by keeping them well-lit and less cushioned and collect eggs frequently.
- Dealing with Multiple Broody Hens: If you have more than one broody hen, you may need to isolate them to prevent competition and potential aggression and make sure each has her eggs.
- Handling Broody Hens: Move the broody hen carefully and calmly to avoid stressing her. It’s best to move her at night when she is less active.
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