do hens go broody when they get bred

[hunt]

I have had chickens for about 2 years but just hens but recently igot roosters and i was wondering will hens go broody when they get bred?

 

[Bunnylady]

Hens go broody when their hormones tell them to. Some breeds are more prone to it than others, but individual hens differ even within a breed. I've had hens that had no rooster in the pen go broody, so from my observation, I'd say that the presence or absence of roosters wouldn't make any difference.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Bunnylady says it all.
There is research that shows hens lay earlier if roosters are present(even in an adjacent pen) but has nothing to do with broodiness.
Hens will even go broody with no eggs under then.

 

[gryeyes]

Some hens NEVER go broody, even if they are one of the breeds known for frequent broodiness. And some hens you would never expect to go broody, do.

It's not even up to the hen, as a choice, but in response to the combination of rising hormones and genetic background of broodiness somewhere up her branch of the family tree.

Every anecdotal story of "making a hen go broody" by leaving her eggs and not collecting them does not convince me that same hen would have not have gone broody on golf balls or even on air (nothing but shavings or straw in the nest).

Out of 50-some hens and pullets, I have five which go broody now and again. One was a hatchery RIR who decided to sit on eggs when she was three years old, totally surprising me.

 

[hunt]

thank i was just wondering if i will have any baby chicks running around someday?

 

[gryeyes]

Maybe, maybe not.

Your hens may be layers, not setters. Most hatchery hens are bred for "production" and not broodiness, as a broody hen does not lay eggs while she is brooding eggs or caring for chicks. That's a couple of months ( at least) without eggs from her.

Or you might end up with several broody hens.

 

[hunt]

thanks i hope so

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Some hens NEVER go broody, even if they are one of the breeds known for frequent broodiness. And some hens you would never expect to go broody, do....

How true. I had a Black Leghorn that went broody often and raised 3 broods for me. If I had the space for another breed I would have gotten her a BL rooster and tried for a line of broody leghorns.
Oh well.

I had 11 Black Penedesenca pullets in a pen that used a community nest. 9 of them went broody within days of each other. They tried to share 15 eggs. It didn't go well and only 1 hatched. Then they fought over who would take care of it.

 

[hunt]

is their any way to make them go broody

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As Gryeyes said, no - at least not reliably.
I do recall reading some research about what starts the hormonal change and it does have something to do with sitting on those lumpy things in the nest but most hens can do that day after day and never go broody.
The best bet is to get some broody breeds. Bantams, silkies, Orpingtons, Aorps, Cochins or Turkeys.