Can a broody hen stimulate another hen to go broody?

[sweetappleacres]

I have a hen that just went broody and her daughter that has also been laying is taking her eggs away and acting like she's going broody too. I take her off the nest and she keeps coming back. I've tried to separate them and she just (I presume) the baby gate. So they're both sharing a total of 12 eggs. She may be done laying eggs but not sure as I'd hate to have staggered hatchlings. She had tricked me before on going broody but I think that now her momma has gone broody it has sparked her interest to go broody too. What do you think? Crazy hypothesis?

 

[Whittni]

Yes. It just happened in my coop, my cochin banty went broody, two weeks later my japanese banty.

 

[sweetappleacres]

Interesting critters. I managed to get a hold of the eggs and number them. There's 13 now so she just laid another one yesterday or today. I'll have to be sure to collect any new ones... maybe for the bator.... My chicks should hatch from there in 9 days.

 

[aggiemae]

This seems to happen often when the two chickens are "friends".

 

[krackowpolish]

it is true, one of my hens went broody then my silkie went broody, then my silkie mix decided to join in the fun

!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My observations as well...my Black Star went broody, then a Welsummer went broody, then her half sister Welsummer/RIR went broody.

I had THREE chickens trying to sit on top of each other, steal eggs, and brood at the same time. And finally, my faithful Silkie got in the mood and went broody.

Just hatched some chicks and life is back to normal.

I don't know if it is by example or was simply the time of year (June is when it happened), but when one hen begins to sit a lot on eggs I think it triggers that reaction in those who have broodier type personalities.

Good luck on your hatch.
Lady of McCamley

 

[sweetappleacres]

Well there's been no new eggs, maybe she is serious and has gone broody with her mom. Also I have 5 mo old chicks (don't know the sex yet) that are showing a great deal of interest in what's going on in the coop the broodies are in. One I caught in the nest with her, just standing there being nosey. But mostly they want to be in there with them. Weird.