do Wyandotte hens go broody often???

[1zooman12]

May I make a suggestion? If you want any hen to go broody isolate her in a roomy cage, give her a nest box in that cage. Let her start with an accumulation of her own herself and every day add another until you reach a maximum she can cover. If she is going to start incubating, this will probably do the trick. And yes it's the pressure on her breast receptors which trigger and maintain the process. Give a hen several tries using this technique and if unsuccessful use another bird. An almost sure fire way to achieve broodiness is to give a Silkie a clutch of about 8 or 9 medium sized eggs and most will go broody within 72 hours; some in less than 24. One does not usually have to go through the gradual clutch enlargement pattern. Just make sure the Silkie is fully mature. Take away the starter eggs and introduce the ones you really want to be hatched. Often the starter eggs will not be as successful a hatch what with intermittent chilling as the hen gets under way. Silkie hens generally are most successful at incubating eggs. There are other breeds which do nearly as well. The only problem with Silkies is that due to their small size it takes a couple of simultaneous setters to achieve the number of chicks you might desire. Another thing to keep in mind is that brood instigation is better achieved in hens isolated from sight or sound of other flock members. This is especially so in some of the more tenuous breeds but is rarely a problem with Silkies. Another trick in good weather is that one can take the chicks of a similar size, from another hen, add them to the Silkie hen's clutch, and she will rear them all. It is advisable to protect this operation by doing this in a closed pen so that predators cannot get at them. This system sure beats operating an incubator and subsequent electric brooder plus she will give the babies every thing they require as long as you supply the essentials. You may even add alien breeds. Silkies are darn good moms.
Neal, the Zooman