Broody Cochin

[Kanthaka]

One of my two hens has gone broody! Once I realized that was what was happening and she was not sick I tried to find out what to do with her. The internet yielded some interesting but often conflicting information so I decided to post my questions about broodiness here because Fred is awesome and has the best straight answers to all my chicken questions.
Firstly I was wondering if it is cruel to "break" a broody? I locked her out of the nestbox but it's kinda sad to see her pacing, clucking and wanting to go back in. And what if she has to lay? One of the online articles said that broody hens do not lay. Is that true?
It would be wonderful to raise some baby chicks but I'm in the city and that is not an option. Any other suggestions on how to stop the broodiness with minimal stress to her ... and me?!
Karen from The Erie, PA Poultry Underground

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Hi Karen...

These hens with the strong instinct to brood, can be a huge challenge.

You'll notice that they eat very little during this period and it's safe to say that they do have to be brought out of the cycle for their own health.

The easiest method I know of... and it's what I most often do, is to find someone else who wants baby chicks and then simply allow them to rear/foster those chicks.

It isn't necessary for her to actually hatch them, when she hears their tiny peeps, she will instinctively attend to them. Offer her the chicks at sunset and by morning, she will be their mother.

IF you cannot find anyone wanting new day old chicks, then you can remove her from the nest box every day and prevent her re-entry. Eventually, she will stop brooding, but for some of the more convicted hens, this can be a very lengthy process.

I have a hen right now acting as a foster mother to 20+ chicks. When I walked into that particular coop, she flew off her nest upon hearing the little peeps and insisted I release them to her ("> They were from an incubator.

Yes, it is indeed true that they do not lay/produce eggs during the broody cycle... this allows the hen to conserve her much needed resources.

You may wonder how long the hen needs to be in the company of chicks in order to resume her normal routine? Well.. if she has the chicks for a week, you can remove them and she will then return to a normal cycle of foraging and laying.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes...

As always,

Fred

www.FredsFineFowl.com