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At what age to hens go broody?

4K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  robin416 
#1 ·
We have a 7 month old easter Egger that has only been laying for 2 months and she just went broody. Is this normal? At least we think that is what it is. She gets all puffed up and makes a funny noise when we get eggs out from under her. I took her out of the nest several times today and she also spent a couple of hours in a separate cage to distract her. She doesn't seem sick. Could she be broody already?
 
#3 ·
We don't have a rooster and don't have room for more chickens so we can't let her hatch any eggs. I've heard of people breaking the cycle. Is this possible? She has continued to lay so as long as she is eating and drinking, is it okay to let her sit in the nest all the time? It doesn't seem like much of a life.
 
#4 ·
That's what they are made to do and there will be some wasting.She should get up to eat and drink on occasion.If she was healthy when she started,she should be fine.Good luck breaking her.Or do what Robin does and buy some chicks for her.
 
#7 ·
Here is my strategy so far. I go out to the coop and make her leave the nest several times per day. I make sure she goes into the run to eat and drink each time. A couple of hours before roost time I quarantine her in a large dog crate with food and water. When the other hens are roosting in the evening I take Harriet and put her on the roost with the others. I check later to make sure she didn't find her way to the nesting box. I'm hoping she will see that it is pointless and that the 10 hours or so from her afternoon quarantine until morning that she is not on the nest will break her from her broodiness. We shall see.
 
#9 ·
Junebugs, I have silkies who are broody half their life. Since it's so hot here, their "nest" is in the pen in a Rubbermaid storage tub turned on it's side. So I don't have to worry about her overheating. Then I just let them do it. They can sit there all summer. Once a day I put them out for food and water. My main concern is overheating . I've only had one go broody in a coop and put a direct fan on them.
 
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