broody's???

[mmclaughlin]

question about broody hens..
I hear a lot about the broodiness being bred out of breeds....
I have 6 hens that are 1-1/2 years old this spring/summer 2 have been broody 1 BA (hatched 1 chick out of 4) and 1 Cuckoo Maran (sitting on 6 eggs due to hatch 8/20)
am I lucky to have 2 that went broody and will they continue to repeat going broody??
hmmm I may have to learn to break that habit or rent her out to hatch chicks for others( I can't just keep adding to my flock LOL!!) although I would like nothing beeter..I love babies!!
thanks Michelle

 

[chickencreek]

my broody hen has gone broody several times and in fact she is raising three 8 week old chicks right now. I don't think you can break their habit of going broody but what you can do is if they go broody and you don't want them to then kick them out of the coop all day until night. although make sure you are not wearing shorts while doing this wear jeans because when I kicked my broody out she attacked me. you should do this every day until she starts roosting with the other chickens

 

[chicmom]

Alot of the laying hens they call hybrids, like the Golden Buffs, Red Stars, Cinnamon Queens--those types have been bred, like you said, so that they won't go broody. Now, the breeds you've mentioned are pretty broody and yes, they will do it again if they've done it once.

I had a Black Copper Marans hen that was very broody. I finally let her hatch some babies because she just wouldn't give up. Orpingtons are also a broody breed. And SILKIES?! My goodness are they broody. I had a friend with one, and if she sat an egg on the dirt in the chicken run, that little silkie would run over and sit on it!

I've heard you can break them by putting them into a wire cage without any bedding--just food and water. You would want that cage to be put somewhere that is not private and cozy. Inside the coop of course, but somewhere where no side is against a wall. I guess it can take a few weeks to break them. I don't try. I just take the eggs daily and put them off of the nest.