Do old hens still go broody?

[wullus]

My grandma gave me her 3 year old white Sussex hen which she says goes broody 2-3 times a year. We've had her for a week and she's HUGE!! Even bigger than our rooster haha. She's slowly adjusting to the new flock, and to the concept of free ranging, but she'll hopefully be right at home soon.

Now I know that chickens usually stop laying a lot of eggs after about 18 months, but is there a specific time when they stop going broody? We've never had a broody hen before and I want her to hatch some chicks (hence the reason we got her, we have red sex link chooks which lay lots of eggs but apparently, are not likely to go broody).

Will she sit on a clutch of eggs layed by the other hens if she sees them? Is it likely to happen again?

Thanks

 

[lynn1961]

If she is prone to go broody she will probley go broody at your house after she gets used to the new home. Give her a few weeks to get her place in the pecking order, when things have settled down for your new hen, leave some eggs in a nest, or where ever you want her to brood at, after a few days if she is ready she should start setting on the eggs. Most of the broodies I have had have been hard to get them out of the nest when they are getting ready to set on eggs, they puff up, grumble a bit, and will get right back in the nest if you take them out. If you can't get her in a spot to set eggs without being disturbed I would suggest that you mark the eggs she is setting on, use a crayon or pencil so that you can tell which eggs are the ones that have been sat on. The other hens will add to her clutch while she is setting, makes for a mess at the end as you get eggs that are at different stages of incubation. The girl I have setting right now was not to mean when I checked her nest daily for new eggs, she is now in a seperate area and has 1 or 2 days to go until her babies hatch out. No way am I going to bother her now though, she does not even like me going in the pen to put her feed and water out. Good luck with your momma to be hen !

 

[bloonskiller911]

YES. she can still go broody. just watch her and set the eggs under her when she will not get off of the nest. and a broody hen doesn't really care what she sits on so a different chickens eggs is not a problem. i've had mine hatch ducklings and even one determined hen sit on golf balls!! good luck hope she hatches you a nice clutch of chicks.

 

[lynn1961]

My oldest broody hen was going on 4 years, she moved to a neighbors house, she was a mean little bugger. She would sit on anything that was semi egg shaped, rocks, plastic easter eggs and the such. She was so very mean while brooding and even meaner with baby chicks, a bully the rest of the time to the other chickens.

 

[wullus]

Thank you so much! I'll wait a month or two and stop collecting the eggs for a few days, and see how she goes thanks again!

 

[wullus]

Oh really lynn? That's no good. Nah this isn't a mean girl, just a massive one. We have another one thsts mean who bosses all the others around but doesn't dare cross this big chook. It's pretty funny. If one of the others randomly pecks at her, she will peck right back and serve her justice. We have a few 8 week old chicks (someone else gave to us ages ago) who Have taken a shine to her, and roosted next to her this evening. One decided to randomly peck her for some reason, and she gave a warning peck right back, meaning "don't you dare do that".

Then she stopped and just went back to sleep, and let them stay roosting next to her. I think she's likes them too, but they gotta be careful not to do something like that. Haha

Sorry if I sound like some derro bogan

 

[lynn1961]

The broody girl that is setting now has been fairly easy to get along with until the last few days, this is her first go at it, when it gets daylight here, I will take my chances with her and see how the eggs are going, am hoping she is a good momma hen. The weather here in Oklahoma is getting pretty warm now, up in the 90 degree f range yesterday, we will getting into the summer soon, but Oklahoma is always hot in the summer time.

 

[illinoishiker]

I had a little EE hatch and raise 30 keets out of 36 eggs. The guinea hens had been hiding a pile of eggs in a corner and I was watching to see if they'd go broody. I don't know how she did it. She made a mound and sit on them and so many hatched. I still have 8 hens of them. Sold 12 and put the other boys in the freezer. Only time she ever went broody. But, my dependable brooders are three Australoups. They will sit on any eggs and growl like pit bulls when broody. Rest of the time they are mild sweet birds. I like to use artificial eggs to get them to go broody and then put fresh eggs under them. I also separate them in a cage with their own water and food. Otherwise the other hens add to the incubating eggs. Good luck!

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

My grandma gave me her 3 year old white Sussex hen which she says goes broody 2-3 times a year. We've had her for a week and she's HUGE!! Even bigger than our rooster haha. She's slowly adjusting to the new flock, and to the concept of free ranging, but she'll hopefully be right at home soon.

Now I know that chickens usually stop laying a lot of eggs after about 18 months, but is there a specific time when they stop going broody? We've never had a broody hen before and I want her to hatch some chicks (hence the reason we got her, we have red sex link chooks which lay lots of eggs but apparently, are not likely to go broody).

Will she sit on a clutch of eggs layed by the other hens if she sees them? Is it likely to happen again?

Thanks

Your susex its not old chicken can live up to 7 to 12 years ur susex pretty young i had my 9 year old hen go broody old hen are more likely to go broody than young hens

 

[illinoishiker]

I have three year old Aussies. Go broody much too often through spring and summer. They are good cold weather layers, though. Your hen isn't too old to go broody if she is inclined. If you want to encourage her to go broody put a clutch of fake eggs in a nest. That will encourage her to go broody but you can still collect real eggs everyday. You need to separate her from the other hens when she's ready to set. They will continue to lay fresh eggs when she's trying to set on eggs. Eggs can get broken as she'll try to get other hens out of her nest. I have a dog crate I fix up with food and water and a nest in a cat litter box to keep it from getting wet if she dumps the water. Cover the top with cardboard or something so the others don't poop on her. I just leave mine in a corner of the chook house as there's plenty of room. When they get real broody you can move her and she'll still set on the eggs in the new nest. They become very focused! Good luck!