At what age/when do hens get broody???

[Willow's Meadow]

My Buff Orpington and Brahma chickens are 8 months old and they're not broody. I was just wondering what age do chickens get broody??? Is their a certain age??? I don't know very much about broody chickens......well I know what a chicken being broody is but I just don't know a lot about it.

 

[Cat Water]

There isn't a specific age other than after they start laying. Really the hen chooses when and how often she goes broody.

 

[gritsar]

Some hens never do, like my flock of brahmas.

Then you get some that are listed (on Henderson's Chicken Chart) as "can" go broody and they go broody at 7 months old, like my SF.

It's an individual thing.

 

[Lisa202]

my EE started laying at 16 weeks and went broody at 18 weeks.

 

[CathyM]

Excuse me for asking my question in your post, but it's related: Can they go semi-broody?? I have an 9 month old who wants to sit on eggs if they are there, but rarely lasts more than a couple hours, and will leave if I take the eggs (not happily, but she'll leave)...

 

[alaskachick]

My brahmas are 10 months old. No sign of broodiness and have laid eggs everyday since they were 6 months old.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
She might be just thinking about going broody or she might just like to sit and contemplate the enormity of the egg she laid.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Quote:
I have a buff orp that does that. Had a riot in the hen house because she was on the favorite nest box. The caterwalling went on for over 4 hrs. The roo went and hid in the carport, poor guy.

 

[donnavee]

Quote:
I have an EE that just seems to like sitting on the nest for a long time - sometimes it takes a good 2hrs before she comes off the nest. I have never made her get up because she eventually leaves on her own. I always figured she just needed some "alone" time??

 

[azygous]

My eight-month old Black Cochin Morgan went broody this week. I put her right into broody treatment - the wire cage with fan blowing under her - and after three days, she's finally back to normal. Some breeds, cochins, silkies, Brahmas, are especially broody-prone. If you have one of these broody breeds, they can go broody any time now.

But yes, some hens can go partially broody. I have a four-year old Brahma who can't resist keeping a nest-full of eggs warm until I collect them - then she'll leave. Another junior Brahma has pulled out her belly feathers and likes to warm eggs until I pull them out from under her.