Update on the Buffo Broodzilla

Author: Meera, August 7, 2015
As a breed, Buff Orpingtons tend to go broody

As a breed, Buff Orpingtons tend to go broody

 

 

My Buff Orpington hen, who’d been sitting on a couple dozen infertile eggs for weeks–some rotten and others broken–finally left the nesting box after I removed all the eggs. I’ll be set up for baby chicks next year in my hen house, but not now.

 

 

At first, she continued to display her broodzilla behaviors (aggressive, flighty, angry) and was easily set off by the antics of the other chickens. However, within a day or two, she’d normalized her old laying routine and began running with the other hens as they foraged around the farmette, took dust baths, clamored for chicken snacks, and pecked at each other.

 

 

My neighbor told me to dunk her in cold water to break her broody cycle. That’s because hens who go broody have an elevated body temp. Removing the eggs worked this time; maybe next time, I’ll try cooling her off. Or . . . if it happens in the spring, I might get some baby chicks and let her raise them.

 

 

I’m certain there will be a next time–she’s gone broody three times in a year and half. Some hens have that tendency.

 

 

 

 

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