I've got a hen, about two years old. She's stopped laying and has apparently gone broody. She has planted herself in the hens' favorite laying box and screeches and puffs up if she sees anything move. She's obviously not laying, but will sit in the box day and night without moving. She's not setting on any eggs and we've taken her out of the box and set her on the ground outside. She just sits on the ground in the same 'broody position' and puffs up and won't move. I haven't seen her eating or drinking. What can I do to stop this broody behavior?

Suspend a wire cage off the ground so that the floor is in air. Put the broody hen in the cage. Give her water, but no food. After 3 days, you can take her out, and she will eat and won't be broody. This usually works. If she is still broody after the 3 days, put her in the 'broody cage' for another couple of days. There will be no harm done, and it is actually better the chicken to be withheld from food for 3 days than for them to starve themselves being broody indefinately.

Thanks!
I'd heard about 'broody cages' but was a little doubtful. I'll try and and see how it goes.

I use it on all my exhibition birds, so it can't be too bad. Works like a charm, and 95% of them are broke by day 3. Just make sure it is cool enough for them, with all the heat and humidity nowadays. You can run a fan on them if you would like.

I'm trying to keep her in a shady spot during the day and move the cage inside the henhouse with the other hens at night. She seems to be a little more normal today (2nd day). Not as much angry squawking when other hens get near. The box she's in has holes in the sides that are large enough for her to reach her head through to get water from a dish. It seems to be going well. Thanks again. =)

Thanks again for your advice! On the third day she was back to normal and scratching around with the other hens!

I've got a RI Red that I believe is broody. I'm not sure of her age, but I've had her for 2 yrs. She went broody in July '01 and hatched 2 out of 6 eggs (none her own). Well, she has become broody again; hopping from box to box. Where ever the eggs are, she goes. I have not been letting her set on them this year though. I just reach under her & gather the eggs. Sometimes she jumps down after I do this & sometimes I put her down. I'm sure she is eating & drinking. What I've noticed is that she (or someone) is breaking (pecking) the eggs. Today she had one totally smashed under her breast. I've been losing 1-2 eggs a day from this. What should I do? She was laying eggs until about 4 weeks ago, then this behavior began about a week later. I've got 40 chickens total (12 adult & 28 @ 13 wks. old), I don't really need any more chicks. Do I put her by herself? Will she go back to the same behavior when reunited with the flock, since she's not sitting on her own eggs anyway?