All this talk about broody hens and none of mine have ever been broody

[Von]

I have 24 hens - just about a year old now - and none of them have ever shown any sign of being broody. I wish one would! I have RIR, Red Sex Links and a few ISA Browns. Are none of these broody types?

 

[cybercat]

None of them are known to be very broody. They are bred to be production layers so have the broody part bred out.

 

[Von]

And to go further with my question...

I'm collecting the eggs every morning. Do I have to leave eggs in a laying box for a hen to want to be broody? In other words, if there are no eggs there, does the hen not bother sitting in the box?

I guess I'm confused (obviously, huh).

I don't want to waste eggs by leaving them in a laying box if they're just going to lay there and go bad, but would gladly leave them there if I thought a hen would hatch them.

How do I know? What should I do? Not do? How can I tell? How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?

 

[Break an Egg]

I'm right there with you Von. I've read that production types have had the "broodiness" bred out of them- for production of course.

Looks like you have a few production breeds. Silkies, Orpingtons, and Cochins seem to be the best at broody.

Take a look at this chart, over to the right it will tell about the frequency of broodiness for all kinds of breeds:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

hope this helps,

Maria

 

[Break an Egg]

Quote:
You wouldn't want to leave eggs there, there is no way to make a hen broody. It would be more likely that they would somehow break one of the eggs, taste it and like what they taste. Then you would have one or more egg eaters.

 

[Von]

Well darn! Thank you for the information though, I appreciate it.

We just bought 15 "Easter Eggers" from Rural King a couple of weeks ago. Of course, we don't know what breed they are, they were just marked as "Easter Egg Pullets". And one Silver Wyandotte for good measure. Doubt they'll go broody either. Oh well, guess I'll just keep buying chicks.

 

[Break an Egg]

Quote:
An easter egger will go broody, and a wyandotte will be even more likely than an EE. Easter eggers are really cool birds, you'll enjoy them.

 

[claud]

Quote:
I had production-type RIRs for 10 years and never had one go broody - sorry.

Your Wyandotte might though - they sometimes go broody.

I've got some Cuckoo Marans that seem to ALWAYS be broody

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
You wouldn't want to leave eggs there, there is no way to make a hen broody. It would be more likely that they would somehow break one of the eggs, taste it and like what they taste. Then you would have one or more egg eaters.

Good advice. I have a supposedly broody breed, brahmas. Ain't seen hide nor hair of a broody, so don't feel like the lone ranger.

 

[Friend2Fowl]

We have had very few LF birds that have gone broody, mostly just the cochins. Bantams, however, are the broodiest birds I've ever seen! Presently I have 1 hen with chicks and 6 hens on eggs....all bantams. I don't even bother to try and break them up, we have more than enough birds for eggs, and they are so cute when they squeek at me

Except for the little $#$@$@%!!! that doesn't just squeek, she flat out BITES! I don't think she even gave me a warning screech, she just got hold of me. I had a quarter-sized bruise on my wrist. I've started picking her up by her tail to check for 'donations', at least she can't bite me that way

Edited to add that I always forget about the old english game hens, they are very broody and technically large fowl, though they aren't but half the size of a RIR hen. One of my broodies is an OEG LF hen as well, but she's not nearly as mean as the little one!