[RosiesChooks]

How can you break a broody hen's habit?

Its really annoying-apparently she is even sitting in with the other two when they try to lay their eggs!

The nests are being blocked up during the day,she is being let out to forage but as soon as the others(and her)are let back in at night she returns to the nest and refuses to move-without ear shattering noises and very ruffled feathers!
Any advice please?

 

[joyfull]

Here is my list of how to break a broody.

here is my list on ways to break a broody 

You cant stop them going broody but there are several ways to deal with it.
1) let them have fertile eggs,
2) keep removing the eggs so she is sitting on nothing - can take weeks,
3) keep removing her from the nest box - again can take weeks,
4) put her in a cage with food and water - can take between 1 and 7 days,
5) dunk her bum in a bucket of cold water - this lowers her body temperature - not tried this method but she may need several dunkings (just make sure she dries off though).
So far I have tried methods 1 and 4 - much prefer method 1 though 

[joyfull]

Also if you click this link you will find a photo of mine in a dog cage being broken out of her broody habit.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=58294.0

[jhub]

I tried the bum dunk and it didn't work, I also put a pack of frozen peas in the nest box (wrapped) and this didn't work. Unfortunately no room for new hens so as advised here I tried the dog cage method which took 3 days to cure the broody behaviour and another week before she started laying again.
Jane