Early bloomers

[ChickenHermit]

There must be something in the water at my house- 3 (!!!) of my 6 month old hens are broody- two bantam cochins, and one japanese bantam. Winifred, one of the cochins, started the trend a month ago at the age of 5 months! And then this morning I got an egg from my 4 month old goose, which was quite a surprise. All my girls seem to be into reproduction even though they're young, and it's fall! Has anyone else had chickens or other poultry laying and/or brooding early? Any ideas why this might occur?

 

[sumi]

I did hear that Cochins are quite prone to going broody… Just saying!

I've had a new layer go broody on me, we took her first ever egg and she sneakily hid the next 12 in the garden and hatched the whole lot. So, it happens. If you want chicks, you can give your ladies some fertile eggs, otherwise you can break their broodiness, by putting them in wire bottom cages for a few days with nothing but food and water.

 

[ChickenHermit]

I have all bantams- predominantly cochins and silkies, so much with the broodiness! I've just never had a hen take to it so soon. Might let them have some fertile eggs in the spring. Not now though- still raising the last batch of 14 "opps!" babies from our mature hens. Banties sure make awesome and very enthusiastic mothers!

 

[sumi]

Banties sure make awesome and very enthusiastic mothers!

Oh they do alright! My MIL got hospitalised once and we were looking after her chickens. I didn't collect the eggs for 2 days and walked into this merry scene:



6 hens and every single one of them broody!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bantam cochins are a broody breed. I've even had them go broody in the dead of winter, -20 out and a hen wants to hatch, and once one goes broody they all go broody. I wait until all my nestboxes are filled and everyone is broody, than I block off the nestboxes to break the whole lot. It's easier than doing individuals. They are a mad bunch of hen for about a week.

 

[ChickenHermit]

Glad to know I'm not the only one for whom broodiness is contagious! Eesh, bantams.