April Fools 2014 - BYC Sponsored Study: Increase Chicken Broodiness By Up To 48% With Aluminum Foil

[Eggcessive]

This is old news to me. We have been storing our recycling boxes of crushed aluminum soda cans inside the coop for years, and the hens jump right in and start laying eggs in there. The cans reflect light and flicker enticing the girls to use them as nests.

 

[scottcaddy]

Thanks, marking my spot!
Scott

 

[Big Orp]

It's a great question! In fact, it was one that was part of our initial hypothesis, but we eventually eliminated light as a potential cause for the huge increase in broodiness after additional testing.

I have 15 hatchery stock Buff Orpington hens and only 1 goes broody and she is sitting now. I will try this and report my findings. 1 question though how long has it taken to raise estradiol levels give or take.

 

[ocap]

this might cause silkie sales to plummet. I would much rather use a large fowl hen to brood.

 

[FeatherPainter]

I haven't been on here for awhile so I am glad that I logged in on this special day, thanks!!!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Great question. The test used heritage birds bred to the Standard of Perfection. Most hatcheries breed away from broodiness. So not certain how well your results will do with hatchery Buff Orpingtons. Size does have some impact, as its the levels of estrodial being extreeted. We started seeing results in about 3 weeks, as our hatch rate increased from about 70% to nearly 100%!

Here is a comparison on size, type etc of a hatchery Buff Orpington (left) and one bred to the Standard of Perfection (right).

 

[chickwhispers]

I have a new brooder I just built and lined one end with that reflective bubble wrap. I put 6 new silkies in. I will have to report next year just how broody they get since they are raised with it. I don't have a flux capacitor to put in it though.

 

[Gargoyle]

I have a new brooder I just built and lined one end with that reflective bubble wrap. I put 6 new silkies in. I will have to report next year just how broody they get since they are raised with it. I don't have a flux capacitor to put in it though.

I don't think that will work as well. The wave reflections off the spherical shapes of the bubble wrap will cause interference, (with the reflection from each bubble crossing those from the other bubbles) diminishing the effect greatly.



Here is an article that explains the interference issues.
Quote:

 

[eenie114]

I think I once heard something about how this actually affects the health of the chicks and that chicks hatched by hens treated with the foil feather out sooner.

 

[rancher hicks]

Really? I don't think this would work.

Now everyone who knows me knows I wear a tin foil hat when I'm near silkies, so I never posted this hint. I just figured everyone would say "that Rancher he's nuttier than a fruit cake" and wouldn't believe me.

Last year I had so many broodies and even three in one box. It completely makes sense when you consider that there are dogs that can help detect if someone is going to have a seizure or the glucose level is high.

Then there was the story of the cat who lived in a nursing home and would sleep with folks it knew were going to pass on. It would come in and get on their bed to comfort them. True story. No lie.

And what about the study that showed animals acting weird just before a storm or earthquake.

Canine Cancer Detection | Saving lives one sniff at a time


Can Animals Predict Earthquakes? | LiveScience


So this tin foil thing totallly makes sense but folks just think I'm nuts. I don't care, I just know my hens will brood more often with the tin foil than not.