# Broody Chicken - How long?



## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Liz our Brahma hen has been broody for approx 3wks now. How much longer will this go on?

At first my OH persuaded me to let her sit on an egg but she squashed it, she has done this with every one she has laid. She has also taken to stealing the other hens eggs to sit on (& then break) & as I can't be checking every few mins we have had no eggs for ages now.

I have had to bathe her twice now as she was covered in old egg & her feathers were matting together. I have also scrubbed the coop where she sat as all those broken eggs have caused the most disgusting smell - I was nearly sick clearning it out at the weekend  

We have now made her an enclosed nest box away from the other hens & put some fake eggs in which she has taken to immediately. I just wondered if she will stop this soon.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

If you don't want her to sit on eggs then you need to stop her - some will stay broody until they loose so much condition it causes problems and will take ages to get her back into laying condition and some will saty broody for months if given the chance!, I've even heard of them dying because they're so devoted! I'd shut off the nest boxes at night - flower pot or some such item, take out any eggs as soon as they are laid and keep removing her if she sits. If she persists then a wire bottomed cage to confine her during the day with no nest box/shelter etc, maybe the only way to snap her out of it and to stop her going broody in a flower bed! 
It does take alot out of them, so if you do want a chook to sit it's vital you make sure they get off the eggs at least once a day to eat/poop or they will die - they're not the most gifted creatures in the brain department!!


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Thanks, I didn't want to interfer too much with her 'natural' behaviour at first but having read a bit more it seems that I should.

We've got a dog crate that I'm going to keep her in for a couple of days as I can't always remove the eggs as soon as they have been laid (at work) & can't close the coop because of the other hens.

I've just checked her again & she seems very alert, not lost too much weight but this has been going on for a while now so don't want her to start going down hill.

I've just opened the coop (I shut it around midday as the hens had laid by then) & she has literally flown at me trying to get back in, I did try blocking her but she was having none of it. The change in her is unbelivable, she's such a sweet hen usually but has changed in to a psychotic beast 

Just hope she snaps out of this soon


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## kat&molly (Mar 2, 2011)

I agree with Alexart, the daft things will sit forever sometimes- I've moved a Silkie out today and put her in a dog crate with just newspaper and food and water.
I had one that would always break eggs, named Frizzy Bee, but she was a brilliant mother so I used to let another hen cover the eggs and when they were pipping give one to Frizz


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## myshkin (Mar 23, 2010)

Poultry Forum stranger here - hi!

Does anyone know if this is a seasonal thing? One of my Black Rocks is doing this, not for the first time, and she has stopped laying - I check for eggs several times a day as removing the eggs worked well the first time she got broody, but she doesn't want to lay yet.
I was a bit worried about illness, as I heard what sounded like a snore from the coop one night, but she has no signs of illness at all, feathers, comb, nostrils etc. all look in good condition.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

The hen that I intially posted about hasn't shown any signs of this year (so far!) but I still keep an eye on her. I think they can become brooody 2-3 times a year (some breeds).

Is she eating/drinking ok? When Liz was broody she wouldn;t do anything except sit on her eggs so I was worried she would become ill. A couple of days in the dog crate (harsh but it worked!) did the trick & she was back to her normal greedy self


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## myshkin (Mar 23, 2010)

Her appetite is down, not horrifically so, but a definite reduction. I've withdrawn treats - OH was a bit over-generous with bananas and bread, which I suspect has led to all 3 showing less interest in their mash. I've just moved her off an empty nest box, to the sound of glum clucking.....looks like a firmer line might be in order, poor silly girl!


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## AnnC (Apr 18, 2009)

Do not feed bananas to poultry, its not good for them. If you want to give them a treat throw some mixed corn down for them to scratch for.
At this time of the year not more than twice a week. In winter you can give it a little more often, preferably about an hour before going to roost as they grind it down in their crops which in turn creates heat.

Yes this is a seasonal thing, its part of the reproduction cycle. Hens lay eggs to incubate by sitting them. If the eggs are fertile it takes about three weeks and out pops a few fluffy chicks. 

A hen will lay eggs regardless of whether they are fertile or not and nature tells her to continue sitting those eggs to try and get them to hatch.

The hen doesn't have a calender to mark off the days so she continues to sit and sit waiting for the hatch day. If those eggs are not fertile and don't hatch some hens will sit for ever, barely eating or drinking.

They would just starve to death even if food was within reach.


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