Broodiness

[CSDeVault]

Is it possible to encourage a hen to become broody? How about if I don’t collect eggs everyday? I understand it is primarily hormonal but I haven’t had a broody chicken in 2 seasons...I have a mixed breed flock but I do have a buff and barred rock...I had an australorp go broody but unfortunately she was killed by a coyote...would a rooster make a difference? Thank you

 

[Aapomp831]

Is it possible to encourage a hen to become broody? How about if I don’t collect eggs everyday? I understand it is primarily hormonal but I haven’t had a broody chicken in 2 seasons...I have a mixed breed flock but I do have a buff and barred rock...I had an australorp go broody but unfortunately she was killed by a coyote...would a rooster make a difference? Thank you

There is nothing you can do, unfortunately. If you really want broody hens, try to get some bantams. They are notorious for going broody.
What breeds do you have, out of curiosity?

 

[Mrs. K]

Well that is not quite true, but what I will suggest is not fool proof. I don't waste any eggs, I just start making a pile of golf balls or fake eggs, I start with two, then add one each day. I try and put it in a favorite nest, and I pull out eggs and add a equal number back. Sometimes this and the broody Gods will smile on me. Just until you get a nice clutch. If no takers, start over in another nest... sometimes it works, not always though I will admit.

It works best for me, in June and July. When I think the light is strong enough.

A rooster won't make a bit of difference, other than you can't hatch unfertilized eggs.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just start making a pile of golf balls or fake eggs, I start with two, then add one each day.

I've tried that four or five times, even used marked real eggs once instead of golf balls. I did get a broody hen once, but that was in a different nest so I don't think that counts. I had hens that would sometimes go broody.

One time when I went to visit the grandkids the chicken sitter failed to collect eggs at all. The eggs piled up pretty thick in those few days. When I got back, after dark, two hens were siting on two nests, sort of acting broody. When I removed the eggs they were no longer acting broody. If I had left a bunch of eggs in there one or both may have actually gone broody but I didn't so I'll never know.

Many hens have had going broody bred out of them. A broody hen is not productive, she is not laying eggs. And they can be disruptive to an egg laying operation, requires special handling. If the person deciding which birds get to breed only hatches eggs from hens that don't go broody, after a few generations you have a flock where most hens don't ever go broody. They use incubators to hatch the eggs.

Some hens of any breed can go broody, some hens of other breeds may never go broody. It is very much up to the individual hen. Many of us have hens that hardly ever go broody, the hatcheries have bred that out of them.

I agree that I am more likely to get a broody hen in the heat of summer, even without letting the eggs build up. When I tried letting the eggs or fake eggs build up it was May, trying to get a jump start on it. It did not work for me.

@CSDeVault I suspect that you have hens that have pretty much had the broodiness bred out of them. I had a couple of Buff Orpington that never went broody and they are a breed that is supposed to go broody a lot. You can try letting real or fake eggs build up, but the only way you can control hatching eggs is to get an incubator.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I didn't say it was fool proof - but it can be an encouragement if you have one thinking about it. All my BO have gone broody, but I might have just been lucky. Mine have always done it in full summer light and temperatures except one time I had one do it in mid October.

 

[CSDeVault]

This could be a total coincidence but I put a bunch of fake eggs in their favorite box and this Jersey Giant went broody!

 

[Ridgerunner]

If something happens one time it's hard to tell if it was by cause, wild coincidence, or if what you did helped influence it a little. From what I've seen with mine and what I read on this forum I'm starting to lean toward letting eggs pile up might influence it a little but is certainly no guarantee.

Whatever caused it you wanted a broody and you have one so congratulations.