Arthur Parkinson: Ruffled feathers and a bad attitude — my guide on how to deal with broody hens

An often overlooked consideration when one is choosing a breed of hen is the extent of their natural inclination to sit on a clutch of eggs.

Beatrix Potter summarised the challenges of brooding with her tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, a farmyard victim who was ousted from caring for her own eggs thanks to the more trusted sitting capabilities of a hen. Indeed, ducks do make for poor sitters, while good broody hens will happily sit firmly for an extra week to result in a happy brood (duck eggs take 28 days, while hen eggs take just 21 to hatch).

Broodiness, or ‘going broody’, is a hen’s desire to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs. For those wishing to increase their numbers of laying birds annually, hatching at home using a broody hen is the most natural, bio-secure and, arguably, effortless way to rear your own birds — minus the issue of the often resultant spare cockerels, who obviously can't be used for laying. However, for keepers with limited space, who want hens to lay rather than sit on eggs, broody hens can be a real and stubborn bore. So, why do hens ‘go broody’ and how can you discourage it from happening?

A hen’s broody hormones usually set in during the late spring and summer months when the long daylight hours naturally encourage them. An old wives tale is that hens will be encouraged to go broody due to the presence of a cockerel — this is not true. Just as they will lay eggs, hens will go broody with or without the presence of male company.

The question of how to spot one is simple. A broody hen is a hen who refuses to leave the nesting box. They will be found either hoarding all the eggs that have been laid that day, or, if they are really serious about sitting, they will sit absent mindedly on nothing — keeping the nesting box litter warm. They will be alert to your interference, fluffing up their feathers and clucking at you in a most disgruntled manner.

A broody hen won’t lay more eggs as, in their mind, they have already laid a clutch to sit on. However, you will likely have collected these eggs in the weeks leading up to them now deciding to commence their sitting, therefore they will consider eggs being laid by the other hens to be their own. Naturally, they will then become disgruntled at any interruptions to their sitting from their laying sisters.

All hens have different temperaments when they go broody. The best are very docile, while others become grumpy little terrors who sharply peck your hands, so it is well worth wearing a pair of gardening gloves and a long sleeved jumper to prevent hole puncher-like peck marks, just in case.

If eggs are not collected promptly from the nesting boxes this will encourage broodiness further. If you are away for a few days it is well worth asking someone to collect the eggs for you, as uncollected eggs will silently beckon the hens to consider sitting on them. Roll-away nesting boxes, designed with felted floors set on a slight slant so that the eggs cunningly roll down into a tray — making them inaccessible and out of sight of the hens — are useful if eggs cannot be collected often.

Modern hybrid hens have had broodiness deliberately bred out of them. Unfortunately, all the fancy, feather-footed breeds such as Pekin bantams, silkies and Orpingtons still usually fall broody each summer, which can lead to neglect if new owners do not realise that they need to be encouraged away from the urge rather than being allowed to endlessly sit. The reason for this is that broody hens go into quite an incredible fast-like state and, in the process, lose a lot of their body weight, especially if they are not taken out of their nesting boxes once a day to ensure they drink, feed and relieve themselves. Hens are quite remarkable at saving up all their droppings when they are sitting on eggs. A hen who has been sitting will produce the most remarkably large and stinking compressed pellet that can be trowelled up and taken to the compost heap.

Often, however, repeatedly taking an unwanted broody hen out of the nesting box only sees them return within the half hour, and their temper continue to rise. Such stubbornness requires placing the hen in a wire cat carrier or finely meshed dog crate for a short while. It sounds like something from the Victorian era, but it is honestly for the best.

The crate should be placed on some bricks so that the hen can feel the cool air under them and feed and water should be provided in heavy bowls. Do not be tempted to let your broody hen out from their little ‘cooling down’ crate until at least a full week has passed. If you relent and do, she will return to the nesting box with renewed vigour. It is best to place the hens in their crates somewhere secure and busy, such as a cool potting shed. In my case, as I write this, I have a very angry, fluffed up guest judging my work from their kitchen table.

Arthur Parkinson writes a monthly column about chickens for Country Life Online. You can find all of his other scribbles here.