Why don't my chickens go broody???

[Vicker]

Out of all my breeds Buff O's are consistently most prone to be broody and are the hardest to break. It has a lot to do with the seasons and their hormones.

 

[yakitori]

Has anyone's broody gone broody again while raising her chicks? I just gave my hen some eggs for fun and she tucked them under. Her chicks are 2 weeks old wondering if this is normal, lol

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Has anyone's broody gone broody again while raising her chicks? I just gave my hen some eggs for fun and she tucked them under. Her chicks are 2 weeks old wondering if this is normal, lol

Don't count on it. I have a bird absolutely notorious for it. She hatches and if not kept in a 3x2 pen until weaning, will just let predators take chicks from beside them. She will gladly take new eggs under her, but if she still has at least one chick, a day or two later the new clutch will be spread out in the bedding.

 

[SheilaCondit]

We were counting on our chickens reproducing themselves? Two of our three breeds are SUPPOSED to be setters, but none of them have shown any inclination to doing so. Is there something I should be doing? We have them in a chicken tractor, with raised nesting boxes, and it gets moved every day; is that too distracting? Do they need to be in one location to get broody? Maybe we'll have to incubate and hatch them ourselves?

I will have one or 2 go broody if I put curtains across the openings to the box(s) so I take them off when I do not want chicks. I don’t have a rooster, which I have been told tends to trigger broody

 

[Jeri B]

corriemartin, like others who have asked, I’m wondering what kind of chickens you have.

 

[GC-Raptor]

corriemartin, like others who have asked, I’m wondering what kind of chickens you have.

In post #8 she said

Buff orpingtons and plymouth rocks are the ones that are supposed to be "setters". They're over a year old at this point.

It's easy to miss when there are multiple posts. GC

 

[carmentk]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

Too true!

 

[Jeddice]

Get yourself a silky, I heard they hatch rocks.

I had one Silkie broody for 2 months finally got her some fertile 21 days later she’s a momma. Now 2 more girls are due to hatch this weekend. Monkey See Money Due!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Does anybody have any problems with hens not liking the chicks? One of my bantams killed like three chicks a couple months ago. She's not allowed to hatch eggs any more. Actually, one of my bantams sitting on eggs right now has survived her. She has a crooked tail and a spot on her neck where feathers don't grow from being pecked.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Does anybody have any problems with hens not liking the chicks? One of my bantams killed like three chicks a couple months ago. She's not allowed to hatch eggs any more. Actually, one of my bantams sitting on eggs right now has survived her. She has a crooked tail and a spot on her neck where feathers don't grow from being pecked.

Mine at the least pretend they don't have any which gets the chicks killed off by outside forces. But luckily none that go after their own chicks