Every chicken broody?

[Gallinarium]

I've had chickens for about six years now, and, I've had several broody hens. It's not exactly hard to tell when a hen is broody. They lay more than usual, then stop and spend all day in the nesting box, hissing and making dinosaur noises when another chicken nears, and they develop a brood patch. My current flock is an old hybrid that likes to go broody, a white Leghorn, a brown Leghorn, a red Leghorn, a buff Minorca, a Whiting True Green, two Whiting True Blues, and a Red Star. Except for the old one, they'll be two years old this May.
And now for some reason EVERY single chicken is broody. I have three nesting boxes, (but they always ignore the far left one,) and they are literally stacked, one on top of the other, three chickens high in two of them, with the others sitting on the ledge. I have never been more confused about my chickens. The old hybrid and the two Whiting Blues are the only ones that have gone broody in the past, and a lot of them aren't supposed to go broody at all due to selective breeding. I've had to break chickens of it many times before, so that shouldn't be an issue, but my question is WHY? I haven't ever experienced anything like this. Has anyone else?

 

[rosemarythyme]

The joke is that broodiness is contagious, but your flock is taking the cake if they're all truly trying to set!

 

[GingerRose]

I have a regularly broody Light Brahma hen that is 1½ years old. She will steal eggs to sit on, even if a hen is in a nest trying to lay an egg. She will take an egg out of a nest with a hen in that same nest, laying an egg. She beats all I have ever seen.
Is that normal?
I know hens will occasionally steal an egg or two. This gal will have 25 eggs under her if I don't keep my eyes on her. I have also started dating every single egg that gets laid just to see how many she will get.
I don't let her hatch out a clutch but twice a year. She would sit on eggs, hatch them, raise them and start all over, if I would let her.

 

[Nksg75]

I am going through the very same thing.. Right Now I am having to figure out how to break 17+broody hens. We have almost 30 nest boxes and more than half are taken up by broody hens. The others are having to get creative on where to lay eggs. It’s driving me nut. I have 4 hens with chicks already, and when I ordered the cackle surprise no one had been broody long enough for me to put the chicks under. The chicks are now 3 weeks old, and the broody hens keep multiplying.
I only have a certain amount of cages to break them. I guess I will be doing it in shifts.

 

[Gallinarium]

I am going through the very same thing.. Right Now I am having to figure out how to break 17+broody hens. We have almost 30 nest boxes and more than half are taken up by broody hens. The others are having to get creative on where to lay eggs. It’s driving me nut. I have 4 hens with chicks already, and when I ordered the cackle surprise no one had been broody long enough for me to put the chicks under. The chicks are now 3 weeks old, and the broody hens keep multiplying.
I only have a certain amount of cages to break them. I guess I will be doing it in shifts.

Which breeds of yours are going broody?

The solution I'm using is since none of them are laying, I'm blocking off the nesting boxes. It's working, as expected, but I guess you can't do that if not every single one is broody.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I only have a certain amount of cages to break them. I guess I will be doing it in shifts.

If the cages are big enough and the broodies aren't TOO cranky with one another, you can put more than 1 in a breaker.

 

[Nksg75]

If the cages are big enough and the broodies aren't TOO cranky with one another, you can put more than 1 in a breaker.

Yes, I have a very large cage that was previously used for my daughters FFA rabbits. I can usually fit about 10 hens in there.
if they are pissy I will section it off, but usually don’t bother and they are fine.

 

[Nksg75]

Which breeds of yours are going broody?

The solution I'm using is since none of them are laying, I'm blocking off the nesting boxes. It's working, as expected, but I guess you can't do that if not every single one is broody.

Let’s see…
BO, several marans, Cochins, silkies, blw, and the rest are mixes of this and that

 

[Nksg75]

Let’s see…
BO, several marans, Cochins, silkies, blw, and the rest are mixes of this and that

Yes, I tried that tonight since all were done laying, and it was total chaos!
I have to get that cage set up pronto tomorrow morning.
they are driving me nuts. The poor girls are forced to lay their eggs anywhere and everywhere. My tractor seat, several in the horses stall, and all over the floor and pasture

 

[Mrs. K]

I am praying and praying for a broody hen as I got chicks yesterday... and NADA.

Life!