My sweet broody hen and Silkie angel Annie wants babies SO badly. She’s collecting everyone’s eggs and doing her best to stretch her tiny Silkie body over them, offering all the warmth and love she can. This isn’t our season, though—maybe in the spring! I feel for her, and I always feel such a jerk when I take them away. She gets so mad! 😅
First of all, if you want to break the broodiness, you can use a dog crate or similar setup to cool her down and break the cycle. But if you’re letting your hen work through it, here are some important tips to keep her healthy:
1️⃣ Encourage Breaks – Gently lift her off the nest a couple of times a day to make sure she’s eating, drinking, and stretching her legs. Broody hens often won’t get up on their own, which can lead to health issues.
2️⃣ Provide Easy Access to Food & Water – Place her food and water close to the nest. I feed a quality feed but I add extra protein and fat to their diet during this time too. Hemp seeds and premium grubs from Eaton Pet & Pasture are perfect for this! Want to try? Get 20% with this special link . Your hen might even forgive you quicker!
3️⃣ Check for Weight Loss – Broody hens can lose weight quickly if they aren’t eating enough. Keep an eye on her body condition and adjust her diet as needed.
4️⃣ Keep Her Clean – A broody hen might not leave the nest to dust bathe, which helps control mites and lice. Try to give her a gentle clean-up or let her out for a bit if she’s willing to move around. While she’s up I refresh her nesting pad too!
5️⃣ Offer Comfort & Patience – If it’s not the season for chicks (like in my case with Annie), removing the eggs can feel like a betrayal to them! But don’t worry, a little extra TLC and she’ll move on eventually. I sing mine sweet girl power songs… 🎶 because I am THAT chicken lady.
Broodiness is natural — buckle up as it could last about 3 weeks or the time it takes to hatch an egg— but with a bit of care, you can help your hen through this stage while keeping her healthy and happy. Now that’s Bombdiggity! 🐣💛
BroodyHen #ChickenCare #ChickenMama #FarmingAfter50 #countrylivingconnoisseur
New to chickens or building your flock? Our Backyard Chickens guide brings all of our coop, care, molting and egg posts together in one place.
You might also enjoy Winterizing My Chicken Coop Like a Pro and Molting: Why Your Chickens, Ducks and Geese Look Rough and Stop Laying.
Written by
Lane and Jules Morris
Authors and University of Tennessee faculty writing from our farm in East Tennessee about gardening, the farm kitchen, faith and designing a flourishing life at any age. More about us
