Breaking the broody is not so much a risk that they won't go broody, but the high risk that when they do go broody they may not stay the course. This is the first time for them going broody, correct? If so, it might be best for your plans if you just let them so you can see how they do. I know the extra chicks might not be what you want right now, but what happens if they don't stay the first time and you set up the first time to fit your breeding schedule? It would mess up your timeline. If you let them brood now to see how they are doing that gives 3 months (aprox 21 days to hatch and 2 mo to rear chicks) plus time to rest and recover after. This lands your next brood (if they like to brood a lot) right in your spring hatching schedule. Just my 2 cents...
This year I bought some Kraienkoppes to use as broodies and guess what,they are broody! But they are only 6 months old and I don't want any chicks until early spring. February at the earliest. I also want to use broodies in a breeding program for some heritage stock, which at present are still to young to breed. A few posts ago, My Lady stated that she does not like to break a broody. Would this create the increased risk that the hen would be less likely to go broody in the future? I like the idea of trying to feed her to change her behavior so I may try that on the weekend, but during he weekdays it is dark when I am home and I don't see that working.
I need a core group of broodies in my flock that will go broody as a group, within say 8-12 weeks of each other so, I can set up my breeding pens to correlate with their broodiness, so March - May time frame would be ideal, March - April even better. My first experience with broodies this year was very positive, but was with heavy fowl that brooded in early to mid summer instead of the spring which I would prefer. Any thoughts/suggestions? Why are chicks associated with easter if the hens go broody in the summer or any other time they want to?
thanks,
Mark
Mark, you ask some really good questions and bring up some issues I have been pondering and working on within my flock which I'll attempt to relay to you in a coherent manner.
Forever Learning stated it spot on...breaking the brood won't stop them from going broody...that's caused by hormones which they can't and you can't control...you can support them with good feed and a stress free environment and a dark, warm and tempting nesting area to brood if they are so inclined, but you can't control when those hormones will actually kick in a good brood.
I'm finding that while certain breeds are broodier, broodiness is determined by the individual hen. I often see no correlation between breed, weather and sometimes not even season having hens go broody when others aren't....I've had individual birds go broody at completely different times, even those of the same breed. (Although May/June seems to be a high season and one broody can often kick off several others.)
Because of this, I am finding it is important to first observe and understand the individual hen and her natural broody behavior and let that work for you.
I agree that discouraging a brood will discourage good broody behavior. I never discourage nor entice a good broody hen I want to use from brooding. I only entice my "fickle" laying hens that have gone on too long with a "sulky brood" to end as I don't plan to ever use them since if they aren't laying and aren't good at brooding they are not really pulling their weight. (I determine "fickle" brooders as those who are not naturally efficient brooders...they stop at 2 weeks or go on a day, off a day, or never settle on one nest but constantly move...more sulking than effectively brooding...that I break with treats).
For my naturally good brooders, I simply rejoice at their behavior and let them stay the course giving them TLC and support...if I don't want chicks then golf balls and ping pong balls suffice. (My Silkie has diligently tried to get those golf balls to hatch without success several times.) If you don't want to attempt chicks now, then watch and observe as they brood those golf balls. This will be very important to help you determine who your core broodies will be and how they will behave so you can support them (Are they movable? or does resetting unsettle them? Do they like to tandem brood, or do they compete or become intimidated, etc.). And if you have a really determined brooder who will stay the course to the point she keeps going on and on as if I'm not quitting until I see a live chick (like my Silkie)...put some eggs or some chicks with her so that she doesn't become discouraged. I'd rather have a few extra chicks than lose a good broody's behavior....they are usually your good mothers too (which is another part of the equation I won't discuss at this point but for which you have to select as well).
As to your time frame...forgive me if I smile a little but I have yet to get my broodies on
my strict timeline let alone going broody in concert on my timeline as a group. I haven't given up trying to approximate a time frame, but I am seeing that it is more about understanding or reading what their timeline is and adjusting my plans accordingly allowing for a plan B (and sometimes C). Over time...and this will take time...I should be able to select enough hens that generally go broody at the times I would like...but that will take awhile to accomplish and I am prepared I may never get quite to perfection. Why? Because I am finding that when hens go broody is always settled by each individual hen and there are some outside influences I can't control such as the weather that year...and some I can control such as flock stresses and health issues (worm overloads), etc. but which I might not have figured out until the time has passed.
I have come to believe that if you want to stabilize your timeline as much as possible, you will need to keep your broodies environment as stable and healthy and as positive to brooding as possible.
Good luck with your brooding plans.
Lady of McCamley
If interested, and helpful, here are my personal observations from my flock:
I have my faithful Silkie which goes broody regularly every 3 to 4 months almost like clock work...she is my beloved core brooder. I purchased her as a known good broody for that purpose. That is a good way to begin a faithful group. Purchase a known brooder or two. The rest can be chosen and developed as God smiles upon your flock (and the luck of the Irish).
To determine if a hen is a good broody, I watch and wait. With my Silkie I got her in April 2012 and she went broody twice before I used her. I did nothing to discourage her but watched her body language and behavior and tracked her time pattern making notes. I then began to anticipate when she might brood again and made my hatching plans accordingly. This year she has hatched for me February and raised those to maturity, then saved a batch in June from a new hen I was trying out. That hen did not stay the course, so I swapped my golf ball sitting Silkie onto that batch to save them. After brooding that batch to maturity, my Silkie went broody again in September wherein I put some coveted store bought EE chicks under her to foster and she has brought them to 12 weeks just now beginng to lay again. I anticipate her to go broody again soon for which I won't use her (she'll be on those golf balls again), but come February-March when I anticipate she will be brooding again (having looked at my notes on her) I will be putting some special eggs that I have pre-arranged a standing order with a breeder wherein the breeder promises a quick turn around so that I can get them under her within her first week when she has gone into full brood.
This year, I had 3 of my year old laying hens go broody in June. As they were new broodies, I assessed all 3 with golf balls for a couple of days. Only 2 were settled enough to move to the broody hutch (which is always set up and ready for intake). Of those 2, one stayed the course until 3 weeks time (having sat a week on balls then 2 weeks on eggs) and then gave up the nest to jump the broody fence and go back to the main coop (quite the feat I might add). My faithful Silkie was just entering a brood and she saved that batch being snatched from the main coop's nest to the broody hutch. The hen that gave up sulked in the coop and I encouraged her out with treats. The other new hen stayed the course and she and my Silkie hatched my June chicks. I kept watch at the stores for chick breeds I wanted, and when my Silkie rewarded me with a September brood, I was on hand with new chicks under her after I knew she had settled for a couple of days.
To be able to swap and switch and pull and set eggs takes knowing your hens and conditions.
So you can see I feel it is more of knowing your broodies behavior and working your plans around them...slowly over time you can begin to get a group of hens that are so faithful and close to your timeline that you can begin to approximate a schedule.
I hope my experiences have proved helpful. I am still learning and improving my broody techniques as the ladies teach me how they work and think.
I can say the best thing is to have a separate brooding hutch and run pre-set up. If your core hen(s) is/are unsettled by movement or bothered by the flock then you may need to keep your consistent broodies residence there. (My beloved Silkie isn't bothered by movement but she is picked on by the flock which stresses her so I have moved her permanently to the broody hutch and brood status...she
lives in one end of my double brooding hutch leaving one end free for any seasonal broody I may need to reset...probably my Welsummer/RIR mix that did such a fine job for me in June and reset with no problems.)
