Broody?

[theechickyman]

Hello I have 2 buff orpingtons, and some other chickens. But the Orpingtons are the only ones I want broody, but they won't go broody. They are both over a year old and I have a rooster in with them. I know that their eggs have been fertilized because I hatched a batch this last week and I can tell some of them are orpingtons. Soy real question is why have not gone broody?

 

[CarolinaHen]

Hello I have 2 buff orpingtons, and some other chickens. But the Orpingtons are the only ones I want broody, but they won't go broody. They are both over a year old and I have a rooster in with them. I know that their eggs have been fertilized because I hatched a batch this last week and I can tell some of them are orpingtons. Soy real question is why have not gone broody?

If you got them from a hatchery they may not go broody.

 

[TwoCrows]

All chickens have the potential to go broody. But you can't force them. It is all controlled by hormones. You can coax them by leaving eggs in the nest boxes in hopes that gets them going, but other than that, you just have to wait it out.

You also might try darkening the boxes with some curtains. Broodies love dark boxes and maybe you can get one of them to start in on the brooding.

Good luck and welcome to BYC!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Orpingtons do tend to be a pretty broody breed, but some are more broody than others, as CarolinaHen said, hatchery orpingtons are less prone to go broody, but even those usually will eventually, often they don't go broody as pullets but will in their second year... so hopefully yours will this spring. Broodyness is hormonal so you can't really "make" them go broody, but you can do some things to encourage it, make sure they have a nice dark secluded nest box, with a clutch of (fake) eggs to temp them etc... The Learning Center has some nice articles on broodys and ideas to try https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks

 

[gander007]

 

[theechickyman]

Thx I'll try that thx for the ideas.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Thx I'll try that thx for the ideas.

Good luck! If you want a sure-fire broody, get a Silkie. They will go broody at the drop of a hat.

 

[theechickyman]

Sweet might have to get one of those

 

[drumstick diva]

actually a lot of silkies go broody even if they are sitting on air but, some do not. Breeders actually have them around to hatch fertile eggs of other breeds they prefer. They swap out the silkie eggs for the ones they want hatched. A good broody will raise them as her own.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. As others have suggested some strains of Orpingtons no longer have the broody trait. If that is the case with your hens, there is nothing you 'can do' to make them go broody.