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How to Break a Broody Hen
Backyard chicken keeping is super rewarding but it comes with its challenges. One of the biggest (and sometimes most frustrating) is when a hen goes broody. While it’s natural for a broody hen to want to hatch eggs, this behavior can harm her health, her egg production and even the harmony of your flock.
From dealing with broody hens personally I'm going to walk you
through everything you need to know about broodiness including why it happens, the risks and proven ways to “break” the broody cycle. Whether you’re new to chicken keeping or an experienced flock owner this post will give you clear and practical steps to deal with a broody hen’s behavior responsibly.
What is a Broody Hen?
A broody hen is in “mothering mode”. She decides it’s time to hatch eggs, whether or not those eggs are fertilized. A broody chicken will sit in the nesting box 24/7, fluff out her feathers to stay warm, peck at anyone who comes near and stop laying new eggs altogether.
While this behaviour is natural and instinctual it can be a problem especially for backyard flock owners who rely on their hens for eggs. Not all hens will go broody. Some breeds, especially heritage breeds are more prone to broodiness than others.
Can a Broody Hen Die?
Yes a broody hen can die if left unchecked. Here’s why:
Starvation and Dehydration – broody chickens will sit on their eggs and ignore food and water. If this goes on for weeks it can lead to malnutrition and dehydration.
Weakness and Stress – Prolonged broodiness will lower a hen’s immune system making her more susceptible to illness.
Weight Loss – Constant broodiness will leave hens underweight and less resilient.
Infestation Risks – A stationary hen sitting for long periods in a nesting box is a perfect environment for mites and lice.
Breaking broodiness isn’t just about convenience it’s about the hen’s health and wellbeing. When a hen is broody, swift and supportive intervention is needed.
How to Stop a Broody Hen
The goal of breaking broodiness is to disrupt the hormonal and physical triggers that keep a hen in “hatch mode”. Here’s how to do it:
Remove Access to the Nesting Box
Take your broody chickens out of the nesting box and block her from getting back in. This can be done by removing her and securing the area so she can’t get back in.Cool Her Down
Broody hens raise their body temperature to keep the eggs warm so cooling her down can help. More on this in the next section.Separate Her from the Flock
Place a broody chicken in a “broody breaker” cage—a well ventilated wire cage with no nesting material—will lose the hormonal cues to brood. Include food, water and a perch to keep her comfortable but make sure there’s no surface she can sit on.Distract Her with New Activities
Give her reasons to stop broodiness by offering distractions like treats, free-range time or new pecking toys.Be Persistent and Patient
Breaking broodiness can take a few hours to several days. Consistency is key! Continue the chosen method until she shows clear signs of breaking broodiness, such as leaving the nesting box willingly and interacting with the flock again.
Cold Water Bath for Broodiness
One of the most effective (and controversial) methods for breaking broodiness is the cold water bath. Here’s how to do it:
Fill a shallow tub or basin with cool (not cold) water. The water should only be deep enough to cover her lower half.
Hold your broody hen and place her bottom half in the water. Make sure her head stays dry and above water at all times.
Let her sit in the water for 5-10 minutes. This will cool her chest and lower her body temperature and help break the broodiness.
Afterward towel dry her and make sure she’s in a warm draft free space to dry off.
The cold water bath may seem intense but it’s quick and effective to reset her broody hormones.
Broody Breeds of Chickens
Some chicken breeds are naturally broody. If you’re thinking of adding to your flock and want to minimize broodiness here’s what to look out for:
Breeds that are Prone to Broodiness:
Silkies – They’re famous for their motherly instincts, Silkies are almost always broody.
Orpingtons – While they’re calm and friendly flock members they’re frequent brooders.
Cochins – They’re known for their fluffy appearance and love to settle into nesting boxes.
Breeds Less Prone to Broodiness:
Leghorns – They’re prolific layers and rarely go broody.
Plymouth Rocks – Hardy and productive without broody tendencies.
Isa Browns – Created for egg production they hardly ever go broody.
Knowing your breeds will help you anticipate and manage broodiness in your flock.
PRO TIP: Use our Chicken Breed Selector tool and you can see if a breed you're considering is Broody. Use the tool to find the perfect breeds for your flock.
Helping a Stressed Broody Hen with Flock Fixer
Breaking a broody hens can be stressful for her and she may need extra support to recover. One helpful tool is a product like Flock Fixer, a vitamin rich supplement for times of stress, dehydration and illness.
Hydration Boost – Broody hens often neglect to drink so a supplement mixed with water will help her get back in balance.
Immune Support – Vitamins and electrolytes in Flock Fixer will boost her immune system.
Quick Recovery – A stressed hen needs long term care to regain strength. Mixing Flock Fixer into her water is an easy way to get her the nutrients she needs.
Add this to her recovery plan and she’ll bounce back faster and hopefully be back to her old self.
Break the Broody Cycle and Happy Flock
Breaking a broody hens is part of being a responsible chicken keeper. By knowing the signs of broodiness, the risks of ignoring it and the ways to break it you can keep your flock healthy and happy.
Make sure to give your hens lots of care, distraction and support during this process and don’t forget to celebrate when she finally rejoins the flock!
FAQs
What is a broody hen?
“Going broody” is what we call it when a chicken—a hen specifically—decides she wants to be a mother and starts sitting on her eggs to incubate them. She lays, or steals, enough eggs to make a giant clutch of them. She pecks out the feathers on her breast to make a brood patch that allows for skin-to-egg contact.
How long will a hen stay broody?
Know The Timing. Chickens usually stay broody for about 3 weeks, which is how long it takes fertile eggs to hatch. Most of the time, hens will resume their normal behavior after that amount of time.
Is it OK to let a hen be broody?
Brooding indefinitely is not good. Broodies barely eat or drink while brooding. At the end of three weeks, when chicks would normally hatch and the hen gets up to lead them to food and water, she is very depleted. It can be dangerous to a hen's health to brood much longer. I suggest breaking her, the sooner the better.
Can I leave my broody hen in the coop?
I have also had hens go broody in a quiet corner of the coop or even far away from all of the other birds in the barn or under a porch. As long as the location is safe from predators, I usually let my broody hens stay where they feel comfortable.
Are broody hens aggressive?
Feather Loss – Broody hens will pluck out their chest feathers so their skin directly touches the eggs to provide more body heat. Aggression – The broody hen will be highly protective, squawking and pecking at you as you try to remove the eggs or her from the nest.
