Your sweetest hen suddenly turns vicious and moody? Does your chicken fluff up and growl in the nesting box? Have you found a hen sleeping in the nesting box? You’ve probably got a broody hen on your hands. If you’re wanting to hatch some baby chicks, that’s great news…if not…well…you’re probably reading this blog post to learn how to break a broody hen.
What is a broody hen?
“Going broody” is the term used when a hen is ready to sit in some eggs to hatch. Typically this happens in the spring and summer, but it can happen whenever the hormonal mood tickles her fancy. When a hen goes broody, she will spend nearly 24/7 on her eggs. She’ll only get up once, maybe twice a day to drink, get a snack, and defecate. Then she’ll be right back to sitting for the next 21 days!
Other indications of a broody hen is if she has stopped laying eggs, she’s pulled some of her chest feathers off (this is to allow her to keep the eggs warmer with her body heat), and aggressive behavior if disturbed while in the nest. All are perfectly normal, and not something to be concerned about.
Some breeds do go broody more than others, so if you are not wanting to hatch chicks be sure to pay attention to breed descriptions when selecting your cute chicks. Those fluffy silkie chickens are cute, but they will likely go broody every few weeks in their prime. That’s a lot of lost egg production!
Why you would want to “break” Broody Hens
The main reason you would want to break a broody hen is she has stopped laying eggs and is therefore not a productive member of your flock anymore. Going broody is also contagious! Other ladies in your flock will start to join the cause…and lead to more lost egg production. So much for omelets…
Also, broody hens are disruptive to the flock. She will hog a nesting box (usually the “favorite” one everyone else wants to lay in). She will peck and be aggressive towards whoever is collecting eggs, and this is not pleasant for little kids. She will also start stealing eggs and rolling them away from other nesting boxes to add to her collection. All around, a broody hen can be a nuisance!
Lastly, unfertilized eggs will not hatch no matter how long she sits on them and some hens can get so obsessed with sitting that they can start to starve themselves! So if you don’t have fertilized eggs you want your hen to hatch, it is best to learn how to break a broody hen and get your flock dynamics back to normal.
Ways people try to break broody hens
A simple search on how to break a broody hen will reveal a variety of methods that people employ. My grandfather would give them a dunk in cool water up to their belly. The theory behind this method is that it would help cool their warmer body temperature when they are broody and help them snap out of it. I’ve tried that with two of my hens over the years without much success, but maybe it’ll work for you!
If you don’t mind giving up egg production for another 4 weeks or so. Slip a baby chick or two under your broody hen. This brought great joy to one of my hens who just wouldn’t stop trying to hatch the unfertilized eggs in the nesting box. Even just the one chick from the feed store that year got her off the nest in less than 2 days. If you’re in an area that bans roosters, be sure to get a sexed female chick to avoid trying to rehome a rooster later!
Some hens are a little less committed to the cause, and removing them from the nesting box several times a day for a few days will discourage them from continuing. This is a bit more labor intensive method as you have to disrupt her multiple times a day. One of our hens, we could pull off the nest and take her to the other side of the backyard and she’d start staying away from the nest longer and longer before she gave up.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read our disclaimer for more details.
Timeout Method
The final method has become our method of choice for its simplicity, effectiveness, and just takes so much less hands-on time. This is great for busy people, especially when you and/or your spouse work off the homestead. Simply, set the broody hen in timeout for a few days.
Separating the broody hen from the rest of the flock will stop her from hogging the nesting box and usually prevent other hens in your flock from joining her in becoming broody. The abrupt change in scenery and being unable to return to the nest she has claimed typically knocks some sense into the broody mama in a few short days.
How to set up a broody hen timeout pen
You will want to make the timeout location as un-cozy as possible. No nesting box, no dark spaces, no spots that look enticing to make a nest. We find an open air set up works best. So a dog crate, a small chicken tractor, or DIY pen will work great. Daylight seems to help them change their mind about sitting on a clutch of eggs. However, be sure they are safe from nighttime predators! Either set the crate inside the coop or garage overnight as some critters can reach inside and corner a chicken.
Per usual, they will need food and water. We usually pull out our chick feeder and chick waterer from storage for the few days that they will be in timeout. Even kitchen tupperware works, no need to invest in anything pricy for their short stay away from the flock.
When you have time, encourage the broody hen to stand up and move around. We often toss them sunflower seeds or other special treats that they love to tempt them to forget about nesting and scratch around for yummy snacks. Also a gentle poke or nudge to get them to stand up each time you pass by their crate or pen helps remind them to move around and not sit.
Now you know how to break a broody hen even with limited time in your schedule.
