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

[TheSpiceGirls]

I'm gonna have to try this! I believe I have an empty bucket laying around...

Stick one of your hens IN the KFC bucket and you'll see your egg rates double nearly over night. ;-)
She took first prize in a Halloween costume contest for this get up.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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Summary:

Placing a square piece of aluminum foil on the roof of a nesting box (above a hen) will increase broodiness by up to 48%

Background:

Chicken raisers often struggle with timing when their hens will go "broody". This is especially evident during our annual Easter HatchA-Longs! The challenges of dealing with a hen's timing and lack of reliable broodiness has lead to a huge market in "artificial incubators".

Almost exactly a year ago today a bio-chem scientist with a specialization in reproduction (and strong interest in fowl, especially chickens) contacted BYC with a hypothesis. We were intrigued and over the next few months worked closely to define the hypothesis, determine the materials and methods of the hypothesis, and then, in a very controlled environment, test the hypothesis.

Hypothesis:

The basic idea of the hypothesis was this: Female chickens (hens) go broody as their level of estradiol (basically "the broody hormone") reaches a certain level. Hens naturally secrete this hormone through their feathers, especially during the Spring, and reflecting this hormone back to the hens would increase their estradiol levels. The concept was to utilize aluminum foil's reflective and insular properties to increase the level of estradiol in a hen and promote broodiness.

Testing Methods & Materials:

Over the course of 6 months our team conducted hundreds of experiments with dozens of hens. We maintained various "control groups":

Nest Box Materials Tested:

• With aluminum foil
• With plastic wrap
• With copper plates
• Without any changes

Other Variables Tested:

• Breeds: Black Australorp, Rhode Island Red, & Buff Orpington
• Size of materials: small, medium, large
• Placement of materials: above, below, around, top, various combinations
• Length of exposure to materials

NOTE: The tests were conducted following strict adherence to the "Federal Animal Testing" (FAT) association's testing procedures. This included "double-blind" experiment practices where the individuals conducting the experiments (placing the materials and measuring estradiol levels) were unaware of the hypothesis.


Results:

The initial results were astonishing! We measured increases in estradiol levels compared to the "without changes" control group of up to 48%. We sent our results to a select group of poultry breeders across the US and Europe to provide additional testing to duplicate and verify the results. We're excited to say that in each experiment the results were the same: Aluminum foil placed above the nesting box increased broodiness in hens by up to 48%!




Publishing Of Theory & Findings:

We'll be publishing and promoting this theory in a research paper to be released at the end of the day today. This 401 page paper details all the details of the hypothesis, experiment, process, measurements, and findings. We've posted this thread with the highlights to give all of our amazing members at www.BackYardChickens.com the very first insight into these amazing findings.

We look forward to your thoughts and comments, but especially looking forward to how these findings will fundamentally change Backyard Chicken broody behavior around the world!





UPDATE: We now have some preliminary reports that this ALSO WORKS ON DUCKS!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-up-to-48-with-aluminum-foil/30#post_13154212

 

[TeaChick]

My coop has an aluminum roof and my white Leghorns lay in the top nesting box (maybe 18" from the roof), so I should be able to expect at least one of the three to go broody, right?
JK.
Thanks for posting this; I have three hens who know which eggs they lay (I've gotten them to change which box they lay in), so I should be able to get them laying in separate boxes and then I'll use this to get them to brood for me. =)

 

[TeaChick]

I need to use my hens more as artificial incubation of three and a half dozen eggs in three batches of varying numbers has yielded only one hatchling. =(
I have two in right now, but that was just to see if they developed b/c I didn't want to give unfertilized or infertile eggs to my friend who wanted to hatch them. I'm not holding my breath.
Anyway, thanks for being part of the experiment and I hope this works for my chickens. =)

 

[chickenboy190]

If I ever get a rooster. I"m trying this for sure!!

 

[Florida]

Forget the aluminum foil, I found this new fangled incubator. Will cut your incubation time in half. Drop the chicken egg in the hole and a chick will appear in 10 days. This particular unit will hold up to 18 eggs. Large version available for the ratite egg. You can get a conversion kit to adapt the unit to run off gas or diesel. Or simply plug it in any outlet. Solar power unit will be available next year.







Available exclusively at Chuckling Chicken Farms for $89.95 plus shipping.

Really interested in this product but have not been able to find it. May wait until the solar comes out but still would like to look at this one.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can get a whole pallet of heavy duty reynolds foil for $500. Send $ first and u will recieve shipment in 8-10 business days.

Heck a whole pallet of tin foil I could get the whole state of NC to go broody.

 

[rbaker0345]

I love it, I ask for actual scientific data and you give me pics of family farms. Would you like a picture of my farm and my friend farms who didn't participate? They would be very similar pictures and they still wouldn't prove anything. Prove to me that this isn't some elaborate April fool's joke or just take credit for putting together such a well-organized ruse.

I swear I'm not getting belligerant, I write this with a huge smile on my face. And if I'm proven wrong, if aluminum foil really can increase broodiness, I will eat my hat and start putting up foil in all my boxes, but I've read too much Sagan and I need reproducible data.

 

[Zgoatlady]

I SO have to try this.

 

[Zgoatlady]

Ok I remember you all are good!