'Certainly tightened a lot'

'For him to single out black men is wrong'

What do you think of the photo shoot?

A post shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk purportedly pledged a $5 billion endorsement at 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s recent campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Verdict: False The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 6 article published on the website “SpaceX Mania.” […]

'The entire tragic event elapsed in just 47 seconds'

A post made on X claims that Walt Disney World in Orlando flooded during Hurricane Milton. #WATCH : Hurricane Milton has flooded Disney World in Orlando#flwx #hurricane #Milton #HurricaneWarning #HurricaneAlert #HurricaneMilton #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/IbDsBQZjro — upuknews (@upuknews1) October 10, 2024 Verdict: False There is no credible evidence that shows Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton. The […]

'We are making progress'

The post Alex – What Long Whiskers You Have! by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles. When looking at my ginger cat, Alex, it’s hard not to notice that he has remarkably long whiskers, particularly for a short-haired cat, and it made me wonder about some of the so-called ‘rules’ about whiskers. These are some of the claims made about whiskers, or as they are technically called, vibrissae: Cats use whiskers to gauge the width of a gap to see if they can fit through it Fatter cats have longer whiskers A cat’s whiskers are proportionate to the width of their body But when I look at the various sizes of my cats compared with their whisker length, these theories don’t quite seem to add up. Whiskers As A Measuring Tool Have you ever watched a cat squeeze, jump, or run through a narrow gap? How often do they stop to test the width with their whiskers? And, judging by the contortions they’re capable of to navigate such narrow openings, how much attention are they paying to this ‘whisker feedback’ anyway? The whiskers might say no, but Clutch says yes. Fatter Cats Have Longer Whiskers One look at Cyril will tell you that this is simply not the case. As my squishy, huggable, resident fatty, Cyril is almost twice the size of our smallest feline, Zazzles. Even at a lean body weight, he is a large cat, but his whiskers are of quite a modest length. Although whiskers fall out and are replaced like normal hair, they don’t grow longer if a cat puts on weight, so perhaps it’s a good thing that they’re not relying on them to suss out the accessibility of small spaces, or we’d be seeing a lot more tubby tabbies trapped in tiny openings! Cyril – he doesn’t want to talk about his figure. Whiskers Are Proportionate to Body Width I took it upon myself to measure the width of each of my cats at the shoulders, which, with the exception of Cyril (who is going on a diet), is the widest part of a cat’s body. I then measured the overall width of their whiskers at the longest whisker to see how they compared. To look at, Clutch’s whiskers appeared to be most proportionate to his body, while Zazzles’ seemed quite short, even when accounting for her petite frame. When I looked at the ratios of whisker length to body width, I noticed something particularly interesting – the ratio of Clutch’s whiskers to body is 1.6 : 1. And that, my friends, is known as The Golden Ratio. Whisker width 23 19 18 16 22 Shoulder width 14 11.5 16 12 15 Ratio 1.7 : 1 1.6 : 1 1.1 : 1 1.3 : 1 1.4 : 1 The Golden Ratio Also known as ‘Phi’ and ‘The Divine Proportion’, this is a ratio that is seen in nature time and time again. Although physics scholars are quick to dismiss the significance of this ratio when seen in biological organisms, the idea that features displaying these proportions are considered to be examples of ‘perfect beauty’ is one that visionaries like Leonardo DaVinci subscribed to, as shown in his famous Vitruvian Man. Although it can easily be dismissed as coincidence or chance, there are many instances in nature and architecture where this divine ratio can be observed, from the spirals of a nautilus shell, the design of the pyramids, to the proportions of the human face. And now, in Clutch’s whiskers. As I mentioned, when looking at the various features of my five cats, it was Clutch’s whiskers that seemed to be most in proportion with his face and body, so it’s interesting that his whisker-to-body width ratio is arguably divine! The long-whiskered Alex’s ratio is an impressive 1.7 to 1, while Cyril’s is a somewhat embarrassing 1.1 to 1. What Is The Purpose of Whiskers? Many people will still claim that because they are far-sighted, cats use their whiskers to help navigate their surroundings. However, this seems neither logical nor practical. Waiting for those delicate hairs to come into contact with something before making their move does not exactly fit with smooth and stealthy feline motion. Given the level of sensitivity of feline vibrissae, it is far more likely that they have evolved to detect changes in airflow created by the slightest movements of animals, allowing them to locate prey in the low light conditions of dusk and dawn, the most popular time for feline hunting. It would also explain why our cats tend to get quite agitated when windy weather wreaks havoc with their navigational instruments! Does Whisker Length Matter? Clutch – perfectly proportioned? Is Clutch better equipped for hunting because his whiskers follow the golden ratio? Or does Alex’s far-reaching vibrissae give him a strategic advantage? Being that my cats live indoors and are not required to catch their dinner, I can’t really judge them on their relative hunting skills, but my instincts tell me ‘no’. I think Cyril’s preference for lazing on his back over elevating his heart rate would impact his prey count far more than his short whiskers. Has domestication and selective breeding altered the divine whisker proportions beyond what is ‘optimal’? Judging by the stubbly vibrissae of the Sphynx, or the Rapunzelesque whiskers of some long-haired breeds, I would have to say: yes. Extremely long whiskers are going to be more hindrance than help, while non-existent whiskers will be no help at all! Alex and his long and winding whiskers. The attractive length of Alex’s whiskers may give him a slight edge over the likes of Zazzles or Cyril, but once that ratio gets much higher than 1.7, you’re dealing with hairs that are more likely to get tangled than offer tactical advantage. It would certainly be interesting, albeit challenging, to study the whisker:body width figures of feral cats and their larger relatives to find out if the golden ratio does dominate in nature – I’m looking at you, prospective PhD candidates! This article is a part of Dr. Karyn's series with her five hilarious cats. Read her previous article: Alex and the Somersault of Happiness The post Alex – What Long Whiskers You Have! by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Books cocktails Cocktails Inspired by our Favorite Literary Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches, and Monsters Four “booktail” recipes to complement your autumn reading and titillate your taste buds By Lindsay Merbaum | Published on October 11, 2024 Photo by Bon Vivant via Unsplash Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Bon Vivant via Unsplash Imagine a pair of polyamorous emotional vampires from San Francisco on a queer-themed cruise around the Black Sea. My forthcoming novella, Vampires at Sea (a smutty, horror-comedy “snack” coming from feminist horror small press Creature Publishing in the spring of 2025!) follows vampires Hugh and Rebekah as they encounter an alluring third partner, a non-binary social media influencer named Heaven. Sex and mayhem ensue, against a backdrop of ongoing war.  Several unabashedly queer, sexy, and magical novels influenced the conception of Vampires at Sea, including: Anne Rice’s classic Interview with the Vampire but of course; Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl, a queer tale of shapeshifting by Andrea Lawlor; Sara Gran’s sexy, spell-casting The Book of the Most Precious Substance; and the deliciously dangerous A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers. What follows is a look at each of these risk-taking books—plus a cocktail recipe for each! In addition to being an author, I’m also a mixologist, and part of my practice includes “booktails”—custom drink recipes with ingredients derived from the books’ moods, themes, and symbolism–a tangible expression of the novel’s influence. Besides, cocktails are a proper seduction in their own right, and a celebration of decadence. So, I hope you’re thirsty, readers. Cheers! Let’s dive in.  Interview with the Vampire Photo: Lindsay Merbaum Disclaimer! If you’ve only seen the AMC series but not yet read the novel, be prepared for some key differences, particularly when it comes to Claudia’s role. In altering the family dynamic, the show created a whole other narrative that plays by its own rules. Personally, I prefer the book to the series. That’s just my opinion, though! I recommend exploring both! In Rice’s 1976 novel, Louis de Pointe du Lac was once heir to a New Orleans plantation. He was also a slave owner. His maker is Lestat, a charming and impetuous narcissist, who taunts Louis’ moral struggles. Lestat’s cruelest and most elegant trap is the creation of their vampire daughter, Claudia, whose mind ages, though her little toddler body does not. While writing Vampires at Sea, I thought a lot about the gay-family-love-triangle in Rice’s novel: Lestat, the unabashedly monstrous vampire who’s afraid to be alone; Louis, the self-loathing vampire victimized by Lestat; and Claudia, a self-accepting monster, nevertheless plagued by an unfulfilled need to achieve physical maturity. Her vampire body is a prison; it cannot last. (Side note: in the book, the break-up scene between Louis and Armand is also one of the coldest splits I’ve ever seen. Take a look–reality romance TV has nothing on these two.) If you’ve only seen the AMC series but not yet read the novel, be prepared for some key differences, particularly when it comes to Claudia’s role. In altering the family dynamic, the show created a whole other narrative that plays by its own rules. Personally, I prefer the book to the series. That’s just my opinion, though! I recommend exploring both! The Red Lavender cocktail is full of flowers: like a child, Claudia is covered in lavender while she persuades Louis to accept her murderous machinations. Orange blossom water scents Louis’ midnight strolls with his sister, now lost to mortality. Bittersweet botanicals complement these florals. The glass is rinsed with licorice-y absinthe: when Claudia executes her doomed plan, she employs two little cherubs, some laudanum, and absinthe, with terrible results. Herbaceous Campari adds a brilliant red, reminiscent of Armand’s auburn curls. All of this is topped with champagne, a favorite prop of Lestat’s when he’s performing humanness.  Red Lavender Dry champagne  1 oz Campari  0.5 oz lavender syrup (see recipe)  1 tsp absinthe  A dash orange blossom water  Instructions: Prepare the lavender syrup. Meanwhile, set a coupe glass in the freezer or at the back of the fridge to chill. Once the syrup is cool and the glass is frosted, rinse with absinthe, coating the glass thoroughly and discarding the excess. Set aside. Add the Campari, lavender syrup, and orange blossom water to a mixing glass with ice. Stir vigorously, then strain into the chilled glass. Top generously with champagne.   Lavender Syrup 1 c water 1 c sugar ¼ c dried organic lavender Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a small pot, then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, strain and discard solids.  Store ininto a glass bottle or jar. Keep refrigerated. Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl Photo: Lindsay Merbaum Andrea Lawlor’s Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a magical odyssey traversing the queer side of the 90’s, contextualized by the ongoing AIDS crisis. (Also, it’s the only book on this list where no one gets murdered!) Our guide through Iowa City, the Michigan Womyn’s Fest, P-Town, and the gayest city of all, San Francisco, is the eponymous Paul, a lovably superficial sort-of intellectual, with penchants for fashion and sex of all kinds with all genders. Haphazardly enrolled in college courses, Paul scrapes by with earnings from bars and bookstores, all the while hunting for potential sexual conquests. Paul’s good at conforming to his prey’s particular taste. Really, really good. Paul’s a shapeshifter, in fact. He can change his physical appearance at will, altering his hair, musculature, breast tissue, and sex. Then he falls for Diane, a gold star lesbian, who wants him to live as female-bodied. Does Paul know who he is? What he is?   Lawlor does not explain how Paul became Paul. Instead, various myths pop up throughout the narrative. The author told the Boston Review they sought to challenge the very idea of an origin story:  “[…] I think a lot of queer and trans people resent constantly being forced to come up with a cohesive narrative. For example, there is this by-the-book trans narrative I could give: ‘I always felt like I was a boy,’ or ‘When I was four years old…’ All that may be true, but it is also more complicated.”  This novel refuses to explain itself in terms of its queerness, smuttiness, or cultural references. And I, for one, am here for it.  The Shapeshifter is made with bourbon infused with peach–one of the sexiest fruits–which transforms not only the flavor, but the color and viscosity. Paul often reaches for whiskey, as when Diane surprises him in boy form or when it takes a gratis whiskey sour for Paul to summon the courage to listen to voicemails from his ex-boyfriend, Tony Pinto. And when grief hits, he drinks whiskey under the covers. Meanwhile, the Luxardo adds a touch of cherry–another sexy fruit, there’s even one on the cover. All are balanced by the herb-y bitterness of the Italian aperitivo, a nod to the Negroni, Tony’s favorite drink. Finally, the lemon twist adds a sharp, refreshing note. The cumulative result is surprisingly harmonious.  Shapeshifter  2 oz peach-infused bourbon (see instructions) 1 oz Martini & Rossi Aperitivo (red variety, nonalcoholic)  0.5 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur  Lemon twist  Instructions: Add 1 fresh sliced peach to a jar, with the skin, plus 1 c bourbon. Seal, shake, and let sit in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days. Shake once daily. Strain and discard solids. Add the bourbon to a mixing glass with ice, along with the Luxardo and Aperitivo. Stir then strain into a stemmed glass and garnish with a lemon twist.  The Book of the Most Precious Substance Photo: Lindsay Merbaum People will tell you Sara Gran’s The Book of the Most Precious Substance is about female ejaculation. That’s just not true. Yes, the plot involves female ejaculation/squirting–but it’s just a tool for working some dark magic.  You see, Lily Albrecht is a celebrated author who’s stopped writing. Her once-brilliant husband has succumbed to inexplicable dementia, requiring round-the-clock care. If Lily can find the rarest of rare books, a magical tome called The Book of the Most Precious Substance, she just might get her beautiful life back. The search itself is a riveting and sumptuously nourished treasure hunt through the US and Europe. There are side adventures and an array of magical characters, including witches. Occult knowledge is likewise peppered throughout, which I very much appreciate.  There is indeed something very witchy about this book. Even its origin story is kind of magical: Sara Gran started Dreamland Books to publish it. She told LitHub:  “…I just knew it would be a shit show one way or the other. There would be some form of picking on what I had done. Either it would be, ‘Put more sex into it and make it straightforward erotica,’ or it would be, ‘This is too much sex and the sex is too weird, and it involves things that some people don’t believe exists, and we can’t have that either.’ ” Gran decided to write “exactly what I wanted to write, with all of that sex, with all of the other sort of occult stuff in it, all of the stuff that someone in a New York publishing house might not quite grasp, and just get it out there.” These are not things authors are encouraged to do; we’ve got gatekeepers, agents, editors, and others to consider. Gran inspires us to trust ourselves and our authorial instincts. Write that orgy.  Each layer of the Precious Potion represents one of the “materials” required to complete the spell and achieve Lily’s goal. First, plum brandy (get it?) stands in for semen. Clear, refined brandy is also known as eau de vie–water of life. (In Sumerian mythology, water is a metaphor for man’s seed.) Honey—like the honey drizzled over the cheese Lily enjoys in New Orleans, or sold at an open air market in Munich—references natural lubrication, while lemon juice embodies sour sweat. The Floral bitters represent the elusive substance that requires a bit of magic to achieve. These bitters combine several witchy plants used in healing and spells: lavender, chamomile, calendula, and wormwood. Lastly, pomegranate seeds, the Greek fruit of the dead, reference a certain meaningful tattoo. The seeds also symbolize the final step to complete the spell, one which requires the most precious substance of all–life.  Precious Potion 2 oz plum brandy/eau de vie  2 Tbsp honey dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water  0.5 oz fresh lemon juice Several dashes Strongwater Lavender Wildflower bitters Pomegranate seed garnish Add the brandy, dissolved honey, lemon juice, and bitters to a shaker with ice. Agitate vigorously for about 20 seconds, then strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.  A Certain Hunger Photo: Lindsay Merbaum In Chelsea G. Summers’ deliciously cheeky novel A Certain Hunger, food critic Dorothy Daniels harbors a secret indulgence: killing and cannibalizing her lovers. Her alliterative name seems like a deliberate nod to Humbert Humbert from Nabokov’s Lolita– another slippery monster, gorging on the souls of young girls. Except Dorothy doesn’t care about your approval. Instead, she confronts the complicit reader, hungrily turning the pages of her tale of sex and violence. The theme here is “consumption.” Gorgeous prose renders delicacies perverse, aligning oysters and anal in the same sentence. (In Vampires at Sea, it’s human feeling that’s so delectable. Tangible meals are both a curiosity and a grotesquerie.)  The Martini Rucola Basilico is made with gin, the base ingredient of the Corpse Reviver #2. This is the same cocktail Dorothy enjoys at the hotel bar where she meets the man who will be her undoing. The floral gin is complemented by a spicy, herbaceous arugula basil cordial. Arugula appears both in the last meal Dorothy serves her lover Gil, and the one she makes of his lingua. Basil is also a must, given Dorothy’s Italian passion. Dry vermouth adds a crisp touch, tempering the sweet cordial and gin. Despite the vibrant green of the herbs, the cocktail is eerily translucent, the single curl of arugula garnishing the glass the only clue to his ingredients.  Martini Rucola Basilico 2 oz gin (I prefer Botanist gin) 1 oz arugula basil cordial (see recipe)  0.5 oz dry vermouth Arugula leaf garnish  Instructions: Prepare the cordial. Meanwhile, set a martini glass in the freezer to chill. Once the cordial is ready, add it to a mixing glass with ice, along with the gin and vermouth. Stir, then strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with a fresh leaf of arugula.   Arugula Basil Cordial 1 c sugar 1 c water ⅓-1 c vodka ¼ c arugula (whole leaf) ¼ c fresh basil (whole leaf) Instructions: Combine the sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently mix in the arugula and basil, then cover and let cool. Strain and discard solids. Add the syrup to a jar, along with an additional handful of fresh arugula and a stem of  fresh basil fresh. Add ⅓-1 c vodka (⅔ c is recommended). Seal and shake the jar. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days. Shake once per day.  Strain and discard solids. Store in a glass bottle or jar. [end-mark] The post Cocktails Inspired by our Favorite Literary Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches, and Monsters appeared first on Reactor.

Do you have stubborn, broody chicken on your hands? Let’s talk about how to break a broody hen! This post will cover everything you need to know about broody basics, including why it’s not good for their health, the most tried-and-true way to stop or “break” the cycle, and how to prevent chickens from going broody in the first place.RELATED: Keep your flock as healthy as possible (and save money!) by fermenting chicken feed. Our girls love it, and the extra nutrients get passed down into their eggs too.What is a broody hen?A broody hen is a female chicken that is determined to sit on eggs with the intention of incubating them to hatch. Rather than leaving the nest after laying a routine egg, a broody hen will continue to sit on the eggs, laying or collecting more and more beneath her – whether the eggs are fertilized or not. Hens can go broody regardless if you have a rooster in your flock.While it’s part of a hen’s natural instinct and hormone cycles, some breeds or individual chickens are more prone to going broody than others. For instance, Buff Orpington’s and Silkies are notorious for wanting to be moms! On the other hand, some hens may never go broody at all. Chickens are most likely to go broody in the spring or summer, though it can happen any time of year.This is Megg. She has never gone full broody (yet) but if I leave any eggs in the nest, she’ll sit on them until I collect them. Then she carries on with her day.Disclosure: Homestead and Chill is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. How to tell if a hen is broodyThe most obvious sign that a hen is broody is when she is hunkered down and won’t leave the nest. If you remove her from the coop, she’ll run right back into the nest boxes. When approached, a broody hen will usually puff up her feathers to make herself look larger. She will often make funny high-pitched vocalizations or growling noises, akin to a pterodactyl dinosaur. A broody hen may also peck at you while defending her clutch.Note: Some of my girls will fluff up and make noises when I check on them in the nest box (even when they aren’t broody) but leave the coop shortly after laying their egg. Brisby demonstrating full fluffy broody mode. Megg and Brisby are both olive eggers, our two most broody gals currently.Is being broody a bad thing? Why stop it?Unless you want your chicken to have babies, it is not good to let a hen be broody. While broody, she will not take care of herself as she normally would, which can easily lead to health issues. So much so, brooding hens usually require special care and separation from the rest of the flock.Therefore, it’s important to stop or break the cycle as soon as you notice broody behavior. Especially if you don’t have a rooster! Without fertilized eggs, they’re putting themselves at risk for nothing.While brooding, most hens will only leave the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. In some cases, some extra-stubborn gals refuse to get up at all! This behavior can quickly lead to dehydration, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies. During hot summer weather, refusing to leave the coop for fresh air greatly increases the risk for heat stroke or even heat-related death. Chickens are far more sensitive to hot temperatures than the cold, and broody hens have an even higher internal temperature! Broody hens may pluck out their own chest and belly feathers in an attempt to sit closer to and better warm the eggs. Once they return to the flock, the exposed skin puts them at risk of pecking and bullying by the others. Broody hens stop laying eggs. They focus their attention on conserving energy and incubating their clutch instead. So even after you break a broody hen, she may not lay eggs for a few weeks after.How to prevent hens from going broodyThere are a number of easy ways to prevent your chickens from going broody. While none of these are foolproof, they should help reduce the likelihood.Collect eggs at least daily. The more eggs left sitting the nest, the more likely it will trigger the urge to brood them! If you have a lot of chickens, try to collect eggs a few times per day if your schedule allows. Encourage chickens to leave the nest box once they’ve laid an egg. If I see my gals hanging out after they’re done, I give them gentle nudge to get out and move on with their day. When you get new chickens, choose breeds that are less prone to go broody. For instance, Barred Rocks, Leghorns, Legbars, Rhode Island Reds, and Barnvelders are a few common breeds that rarely go broody (though nothing is guaranteed). Look for hidden nests or laying spots in the coop, run or yard. Sometimes they prefer to brood in hiding!How to Break a Broody Hen: First StepsIt’s best to intervene as soon as you notice your hen acting broody. The longer she’s allowed to sit on eggs, the deeper into the cycle she’ll get, and the more difficult it will be to “reset” her. Before I explain the best way to break a very determined broody hen (below), here are a few easier steps you can try first – especially if you catch it early. Collect all the eggs and remove her from nest and coop. Her body will likely be stiff and resistant, so don’t just shove her off! Gently pick her up and take her outside to the chicken run or yard. Offer some chicken-safe treats to help her get some calories, doubling as a nice distraction. If she returns to the nest later in the day, repeat the process several times if needed. Consistency is key! Yet if she immediately runs straight back to the nest, proceed to the next steps. Cool her down. When a hen is broody, her body temperature becomes elevated to help incubate the eggs. So, sometimes lowering their body temperature can help reset her hormones. One simple way is to tuck a frozen water bottle or ice pack beneath her. (I wrap mine in a paper towel so it isn’t overly cold against her.) Another option is to gently dunk her lower half in cool water for a minute or two, but only do this when it’s warm and dry outside!If these steps don’t work, it’s time to separate her.Before setting up a broody pen for Brisby (and after removing her from the nest box over and over), I tried to cool her down by placing an ice pack wrapped in a paper towel under her.She just sat on the ice pack for hours, until it turned warm! Lol. Okay, I guess it’s time for broody jail.The Best Way to Break a Broody Hen: SeparationWhen all else fails, the absolute best way to break a broody hen is to separate her in a smaller, safe enclosure for a few days – aka broody jail. The main goal is to prevent her from accessing the nest boxes (or other places she may want to brood), but it’s not recommended to block off the nesting boxes if you have other laying hens. To separate your broody hen, either fence off a small section of the chicken run or keep her in a large dog crate. I prefer the fence method so she has more room to scratch and move around, rather than just laying there in a nesting position. If using a crate, remove the solid floor and nestle the wire bottom into the dirt or sand. See example photos below. Provide food and water in the broody pen, and ensure it is safe from predators. To reduce stress and disruption to the pecking order, keep her in a location where she is still part of the flock as much as possible. Also choose a location that’s in shade to partial shade. To fully break a broody hen, it’s best to keep her separate and away from the nest boxes for at least two full days, perhaps three or four in some cases. Let her out after two full days. If she runs back to the nest box, immediately return her to broody jail. At night, I like to let my broody girls sleep in the coop on the roost with the rest of the flock so she feels safe. I also believe the act of roosting helps reset normal behavior compared to laying in a crate all night. Yet to ensure she doesn’t return to the nest boxes, I wait until sundown, block off the nest boxes with a board, move her from her broody pen to the coop roost after dark, and then go back out first thing in the morning to put her back into her separate pen before uncovering the nest boxes for the rest of the flock. If you can’t block your nesting boxes, you may need to keep her in a crate in the coop overnight. Some people suggest to elevate the broody crate to increase airflow and cooling, but I haven’t found that necessary. If you do that, be sure the bottom of the crate has a fine enough mesh floor for her to safely and comfortably stand on. Brisby in broody jail. We used a combination of wire garden fencing and stakes to make her a small separate pen inside the run.Treat blocks are always a nice distraction.An example of separating using a dog crate inside the run. (We were monitoring a health concern for our young girl here, but same idea.)Blocking off the nest boxes overnight while the broody sleeps in the coop with the rest of the flock, to be uncovered once she’s back in her pen at sunrise. And that should do it!After following these tips and steps, you should be able to successfully break a broody hen. Unfortunately, persistent chickens will likely try again sooner or later. Some chicken keepers eventually cave in and let them hatch some eggs, or give them a clutch of fertilized eggs if they aren’t already. Personally, we have enough chickens at the moment… so we’ll pass on more chicks! I hope you found this post to be helpful. Please feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences in the comments below.Don’t miss these related posts:11 Easy DIY Chick Brooder Box Ideas with Photos Introducing New Chickens (or Chicks) to a Flock: Best Practices 500+ Best Chicken Names: Funny, Cute, Unique, Puns and More  Best DIY Flock Block Recipe: How to Make a Chicken Treat Block Did you enjoy this article? Want to hear more? Stay in touch! Sign up below to receive weekly updates on new posts from Homestead and Chill. The post The Best Way to Break a Broody Hen (and How to Prevent It) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.