*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[Peanutsmomma]

On average, how many times a year do your Buffs go broody? How old were they the first time? We have a 10 month old who is starting to act a little squirrely and I am wondering if she is gearing up for her first venture into broodyland?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Mine constantly go broody. The first one started her very first nest next door and we didn't find her for two days. We didn't even know she had started laying yet. We have to be diligent with egg picking daily in summer or they will try to sit by the first night. They get an a for effort haha

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Mine constantly go broody. The first one started her very first nest next door and we didn't find her for two days. We didn't even know she had started laying yet. We have to be diligent with egg picking daily in summer or they will try to sit by the first night. They get an a for effort haha

By the first night????? Wow, they are hardcore! LOL! This broody business is a two-edged sword. While on the one hand, I want one of our girls to go broody because I want to hatch some chicks but on the other hand once that broody box is opened we may have a hard time keeping a lid on it.

 

[Johnn]

On average, how many times a year do your Buffs go broody? How old were they the first time? We have a 10 month old who is starting to act a little squirrely and I am wondering if she is gearing up for her first venture into broodyland?

Got my two Orps in 2012 and they were 18 month. One of the two went broody a month after getting her and hatched out another BO (Bella). The same Orp went broody 3 times in 2013 and twice in 2014. Her sister who she came with went broody once in 2013 and twice in 2014. Bella who was hatched out by the first broody went broody for the first time last year when she was nearly two years old. My main Orp who goes broody gives me a sign she is going broody when she packs on the pounds and looks obese!

 

[MsKay]

Its love

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I should have specified. The one who went broody on her first nest passed a few months ago, but it was truly unexpected. I was waiting for my first egg and poof she was gone. I looked everywhere and after day two neighbors lab found her and she would not budge haha. The hard core broodies here are a trio. The rest are just happy living life. This trio fought with me all summer. Because of them I had to add a fourth nest box for the sanity of the rest. They wouldn't stop occupying them. I tried moving them to a smaller coop so they could sit on eggs but they wouldn't have it so I let two girls hatch out some chicks and then they let me move them. The third would not let up. Once she started and it was too late in the season to let her at it it took me weeks to convince her otherwise. The third was not as determined in the beginning and that's why I didn't have all three on eggs. This trio will be 2 this spring so it will be interesting to see what they decide.
At first I thought this was a pain, but in reality I got to see a chick develop and move inside an egg for the first time. And I got to see the miracle (in my eyes at least) of watching hens raise their own. As much as I enjoyed raising chicks it was a really neat experience to see them do it all their own. Sorry this got so long haha the moral of my story is some are one track mind, but others are just happy to go about day to day.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Got my two Orps in 2012 and they were 18 month. One of the two went broody a month after getting her and hatched out another BO (Bella). The same Orp went broody 3 times in 2013 and twice in 2014. Her sister who she came with went broody once in 2013 and twice in 2014. Bella who was hatched out by the first broody went broody for the first time last year when she was nearly two years old. My main Orp who goes broody gives me a sign she is going broody when she packs on the pounds and looks obese!

Thanks for the info Johnn. It makes sense that your hen would pack on the pounds before she goes broody, smart girl. I will add that to my list of signs to watch for.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I should have specified. The one who went broody on her first nest passed a few months ago, but it was truly unexpected. I was waiting for my first egg and poof she was gone. I looked everywhere and after day two neighbors lab found her and she would not budge haha. The hard core broodies here are a trio. The rest are just happy living life. This trio fought with me all summer. Because of them I had to add a fourth nest box for the sanity of the rest. They wouldn't stop occupying them. I tried moving them to a smaller coop so they could sit on eggs but they wouldn't have it so I let two girls hatch out some chicks and then they let me move them. The third would not let up. Once she started and it was too late in the season to let her at it it took me weeks to convince her otherwise. The third was not as determined in the beginning and that's why I didn't have all three on eggs. This trio will be 2 this spring so it will be interesting to see what they decide.
At first I thought this was a pain, but in reality I got to see a chick develop and move inside an egg for the first time. And I got to see the miracle (in my eyes at least) of watching hens raise their own. As much as I enjoyed raising chicks it was a really neat experience to see them do it all their own. Sorry this got so long haha the moral of my story is some are one track mind, but others are just happy to go about day to day.

No need to apologize for the length of your post, I love learning about other's experiences especially when I have absolutely no experience with broodies. What you describe with your nesting boxes is what I am not looking forward to. Our girls have 6 boxes and all of them use 1 box. We have a bantam coop and run set up for our bantam choc orps so I am wondering if I should incorporate them with the big girls and use the bantam area as a broody pen. The bantams free range with the big girls and generally get along so putting everyone in the same coop might be a good idea. The hen that I thought might be going broody is acting totally normal this morning so she might not be as close as I think.

ITA about the seeing the miracle of watching hens raise their chicks. It is very important to me that our girls have the experience of being mommas. Everyday I have to stop myself from ordering an incubator! LOL!

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Its love

Awwww what a beautiful pair. Is she his favorite?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I had a BO grow up and lay one egg just around 6 months and then go broody. I didn't think it was possible.
So I broke her of being broody. She laid a few more eggs and went broody again. So I gave her babies to raise and she was an awesome mama.

She went broody every four weeks like clock work during the warmer months of the year. She did that her whole life. We lost her at just over 2 years of age.

And none of my other BO's have ever gone broody. I have 3 nine-month old BO's and I'm kind of hoping one goes broody.