broody?

[ksct]

My hens haven't started laying yet, and I keep reading all these threads about different hens/breeds going broody etc....
My hens are going to be 17 weeks on Thursday.....
Do (Buff) Orpingtons tend to go broody? What exactly should I be expecting etc. I don't want them to be mean... does it last long? How will I konw if they have gone broody etc?
We insulated the coop Saturday because we're a little worried about the winter up here in upstate NY and I opened up the nest boxes finally and put the straw in and put 2 golf balls in each box.... they haven't touched them thus far. Will they naturally know to go there when the 'urge' to lay hits them?
Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[Ghostchick]

Hi, I have 15 hens a few buff orps. They are about 24 weeks old and have been laying for over a week now. We started out with the golf balls and they have layed their eggs with them, they seem to like them. I have a broody EE. She hasn't been mean yet, she was letting my son pet her in the nesting box, which she is usually skittish. He even put his hand under her to remove eggs, which weren't all hers, and he didn't get pecked. I am in WNY. We are discouraging the broodiness and collecting eggs a few times a day. Its just not time for baby chicks!

 

[gritsar]

You'll have to wait and see if they like your nestboxes. My girls took to their boxes, planted with golf balls, right off the bat.
Buff orps. do sometimes go broody. A broody hen generally refuses to get off the nest and will peck and hiss at you when you reach under her for the eggs.

 

[ksct]

ok, so if being broody just meand they just have a 'bad attitude' lol when they're laying..... how do we go about making sure or helping to make sure that doesn't happen or that it isn't too bad?

 

[OutInTheStiks]

Going broody means that they are setting on eggs (or setting on imaginary eggs in an empty nest box in some cases) with the intent of incubating them and hatching out chicks. It is a 21 day process.

We have had two broodies in the past couple of months. One would peck, hiss, and puff up when we checked her eggs. The other just gave us the stink eye. The personality they showed during setting was an extension on their normal personality.

 

[ksct]

yes, i can already tell that we'll have at least 1-2 that will for sure go broody. I just didn't know if there was really anything you can do to stop it or shorten it etc. And i'm sure i'm jumping the gun here a little but since this is our first batch of chickens....ever.... i'm not completely sure what i should be expecting/doing in this situtation. Does it last a full 21 days? is that because that's how long it takes for chicks to hatch?