[EggBound]

My light sussex first came into lay in January, and had gone broody by the middle of March.  She spends all day sat in a nest box, apart from twice a day when I turf her off to make sure she eats and drinks.  I think she's stopped laying now herself - we are only getting two eggs a day from the three girls.  I read somewhere I should dunk her in cold water to try and stop the broodiness - is this right?  It sounds a bit cruel, but I am getting worried about her lack of interest in eating or drinking.  Any advice to halt the broodiness would be welcomed.

[Vember]

Only thing I can suggest is that you keep getting her off her nest. Never done the water trick as I don't like the idea
She'll get bored eventually  The longer she sits the longer it'll be till she lays again

Are the others laying in the same nest box? Is there any way after they've laid you could block the nest box off so she can't get back in?



Sarah

[Aunt Sally]

From what you've said she's already been broody for two weeks so she may well forget all about it in a week or so.

You can break a broody by a number of methods, including cold water dunks, but usually only if you do it at the very first sign of broodiness.

[EggBound]

One of the others is laying on the floor of the house before I let them out in the morning - don't think she can get in the nest box (I have two nest boxes but they only ever lay in one of them and use the other as a toilet!).  The other laid on the floor of the coop when I tried shutting the pophole into the house, so the broody settled down on the floor on top of the egg.  Some days she's sitting on an egg in the nest box when I get home from work, so I don't know if she's letting the hen lay in there after I turf her out in the morning and then sitting on the egg.  I'll just have to persist and hope she gives up soon.  I worry that when the weather warms up she will dehydrate if she won't get up to drink.

[nnbreeder]

Another trick is the wire cage method. Just a bare cage with nothing inside but food and water and those need to be tied down because she will be mad and dump them constantly if they are not. Keep the cage well protected from sun and rain.

But the best defense against a broody is a roll out nest box. After the hen lays an egg the egg will roll down a slightly sloped bottom and through a curtan to end up in a covered trough. Out of sight, out of mind!