SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/chick-break-broody

Your hen sits in the nest all day and stops laying. How can you stop the broodiness?

Collect eggs daily and keep her off the nest for several days.

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  1. Give her more eggs to sit on
  2. Collect eggs daily, block her nest a few days ✔
  3. Feed her extra treats on the nest

Why: A full nest of eggs often sets off broodiness. Taking her away from the nest for several days usually ends it, and she goes back to laying.

Huh, didn't know that: Silkies and Cochins go broody often, while Leghorns rarely do.

The dad joke
Why did the hen stay on her nest? She was trying to hatch a plan.
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References

Answer: Collect eggs daily, block her nest a few days. A full nest of eggs often sets off broodiness. Taking her away from the nest for several days usually ends it, and she goes back to laying.

  1. Why Did My Chickens Stop Laying? (PNW 565), Oregon State University Extension extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pnw-565-why-did-my-chickens-stop-laying
    To reduce broodiness, collect eggs daily from nests and hiding places.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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