At what age do Hens start to go broody?

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StaatsFarms

StaatsFarms

Songster
10 Years
Jun 30, 2009
129
1
109
Nebraska
My wife wants to leave a couple eggs in the coop to see if one of the hens will sit on them and hatch them. They are almost a year old. I don't think they are old enough yet and none of them are showing any interest in sitting on the eggs. Should we just leave them in there and see what happens or should we pull the eggs out and wait a while till we try it?
 
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I think there are people on here who have had pullets as young as yours go broody, though I don't think that is the usual, and it depends partially on breed. I think you should probably just watch your hens, and if there is one that is showing a tendency to want to brood (sitting on the nest, showing no desire to leave it, growling or pecking at you when you try to come close, etc.) then you can try to put some eggs in front of her, and see if she will roll them underneath her to brood. I try to gather eggs multiple times per day so that I am not encouraging exploratory pecking at eggs, and possibly starting egg-eating behavior. Just my opinion.
 
Yes, wait for one of them to go broody before giving her eggs. Some hens never go broody. i have had young (5-6 month old) silkie pullets lay one egg then go broody. Leaving eggs can encourage pecking and egg-eating, and once started, it is nearly impossible to stop.
 
I've had pullets go broody at 8 months but in my experience they don't stick with it well at a young age. If they are not showing signs of being broody they are not broody. Leaving eggs in with them would be a waste of time and eggs. Some hens never get broody! Dora'smom is right some breeds make better broody hens than others. If you want a broody hen get an Orpington or a Silkie.
 
Mine are almost a year and I have a broody. BUT I have a breed know for being broody. Many hatchery chickens will not go broody as it is bred out of them. You can not make one go broody either so do not waste eggs trying too.
 
I had 4 go broody this spring. All were 7 month or younger--but they are breeds who go broody often.
 
My little buff orp will be a year old in July.

She has been broody for over a week now. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH and not the nice broody either. She is the nastiest thing ever now lol What happened to my sweet lil Peaches? She sounds likea velociraptor when you go near her and she opens her beak her squawks are so loud lol

its really quite funny lol
 
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Just depends... One of my Barred Rocks went broody at 8 months of age. Not wanted yet by me....I have no rooster and no source of fertilized eggs. But will have later this yaer.
 
I let the eggs pile up in a nestbox just this week. At a clutch of eight, one of my hens went broody. I let eggs accumulate in another nest, and now I've got a second broody hen. Of course, these are hens of a breed known to go broody. In nature, it would be the presence of a full clutch that would cause the hen to start sitting on the eggs.
 

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