Can environment cause broodyness?

This is the root of my problem. I cycle through chickens. They get 2-3 years in the flock then are culled (we eat, sell or give away)

I typically keep 1-2 broody girls regardless of age. I seem to add 1-2 new broody birds each year. My preference is RIR and will be 100% of flock after this season.

My flock size is typically 12-40 chickens. Depending on growth stages. Typical over winter is 12-18. So I’m getting 1-2 broody birds out of 12-18 birds.
 
Most of us are familiar with regular broody hens, but how about older hens that go broody after being exposed for a couple of weeks to store bought chicks being brooded in the run where the flock hangs out? This phenomenon is more curious than a young hen becoming broody to sit on eggs. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/we-know-broody-hens-how-about-a-nanny-hen.1407935/

For my money, these cases are an argument in favor of the environment playing a role in triggering broody hormones, and that would be in addition to genetic factors. These older hens of mine that adopted chicks after becoming partially broody were breeds that had a high tendency to broodiness.

My take on this is that genetics predisposes a hen to becoming broody, but something in the environment likely also plays a role in triggering the broody hormones.

There is so much about chickens that just begs to be studied, but our culture tends to treat food animals in a very limited fashion, and if the study doesn't maximize this purpose, the study is written off as foolish and a waste of time.
This like process where roosters can also go broody. I had multiple hens go broody without going through incubation cycle. The common parts to this are older hen that just came out out of lay. In those cases, it is inducible. On the hen side I don't think it is natural and the hens that do it are also prone to crow like a rooster, not like a broody hen with crows.
 
Do you put them in broody jail? An elevated wire bottom cage. That usually solves the problem in a couple days.
I've done that in the past. I've found my method works just as well, and as fast, about 3 days. Plus it allows them to walk around, exercise. I have a pen I sometimes use as a brooder, grow-out pen, bachelor pad, whatever's needed, adjacent to the hens' big run. It's probably about 20x40 and has a Rubbermaid storage shed about 6' square by 4' high for a night time coop and daytime shade. I just put my broodies in there. There's no place for them to nest and they get over it pretty quickly. I turned my 3 broodies out of it this morning and only one went back to a nest this evening, so she's back in jail, er, rehab, tonight. Three more days should do it.
 
I've done that in the past. I've found my method works just as well, and as fast, about 3 days. Plus it allows them to walk around, exercise. I have a pen I sometimes use as a brooder, grow-out pen, bachelor pad, whatever's needed, adjacent to the hens' big run. It's probably about 20x40 and has a Rubbermaid storage shed about 6' square by 4' high for a night time coop and daytime shade. I just put my broodies in there. There's no place for them to nest and they get over it pretty quickly. I turned my 3 broodies out of it this morning and only one went back to a nest this evening, so she's back in jail, er, rehab, tonight. Three more days should do it.
well that will likely work
 
we just tossed a third into our broody pen (our former duck house).

we also just found a clutch of 20 eggs under said pen. the third broody was sitting on them!

the first two have been there for a little over a week so we're considering a slight modification to the setup and we need to make it quick.

i think the easiest solution is to make the only option in that pen roosting. so we'll just add some 2x4s and hope we can get the girls on them. thoughts?

we have tried the cool baths in the past but didn't have much success. maybe we'll try again more regularly.
 
we just tossed a third into our broody pen (our former duck house).

we also just found a clutch of 20 eggs under said pen. the third broody was sitting on them!

the first two have been there for a little over a week so we're considering a slight modification to the setup and we need to make it quick.

i think the easiest solution is to make the only option in that pen roosting. so we'll just add some 2x4s and hope we can get the girls on them. thoughts?

we have tried the cool baths in the past but didn't have much success. maybe we'll try again more regularly.
If the only option in the pen is roosts, where will the hens lay their eggs? Do you mean to remove all nests?
 

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