Hi, I have a couple of questions, Is it true that if one hen goes Broody that others will join in? And if you do have more them one broody can you keep them in the same coop together? Could you keep them with the rest of them flock? And when brooding, can you keep the chicken in a raised coop? Will the newly hatched chicks know you to use the bridge that connects the top to the ground? Its at around a 30 degree angle
Sometimes, but broodiness is a hormmonal change, and there is no proof it is stimulated by the presence of another broody. They can go broody any time of year, buy spring is by far the most common. There are many ways to manage broodies. Somepeople do keep them all in the same coop and some separate them. The chicks will jump further than the adults wiithin a day or two, and the mama will teach them how to eat, drink, use walkways, etc. Here is a link to one article about broodies, and here is another.